College Experiences
by Ilovedesserts
Summary: Getting ready to go off to college can certainly affect the whole family, as Ricky is about to find out.
1. Chapter 1

**New story-A/U, so no, it's not necessarily going to stick to the Major Crimes storyline. These characters are not my own; I"m just borrowing them. I have had this idea because I've been talking to a lot of teenagers over the last month or so about their college plans. Many are heading off to college soon, while others are touring potential schools. Anyway, expect this story to take twists and turns as our characters all navigate various "College Experiences."**

* * *

"Okay, here we are! College tour number two!" Sharon exclaimed to her son as she pulled into the parking spot at UCLA. It was 8:00 AM, early for Ricky's standards, and his mom was a little too excited about the day. He noticed as she glanced over to him, eyes sparkling as he avoided eye contact and looked around.

"It's hardly a big college visit when we live right here in the same town, Mom," Ricky replied. "I mean, this is most likely my backup school. You are the one who wanted me to check it out."

"Ricky, this is a very good school, and as much as you want to roll your eyes, it has a great reputation for math, computers, and business, all things you are considering. Now, let's go. You are out of school for the day, and we are going to take this tour. Please," she nodded to him sternly, and he nodded getting out of the car.

"Well, it's the complete opposite of where we were last weekend," he explained as they walked toward the building they had written down on their information packet. Ricky and Sharon had setup tours at several schools here in the spring of his junior year, and they were making the most of their spring break time to visit several of the schools. Spring break was going to start next week, and they'd jumpstarted their tours with a visit over the previous weekend, now UCLA during the week, and once the weekend hit, they were going on a road trip to visit several other schools. "I mean, Northern Arizona was so small compared to UCLA, and don't even get me started on the setup. UCLA is in LA-where I live. Northern Arizona, well, it's close to skiing, and you know that's a consideration. Plus, this is in a huge city, and that was, well, surrounded by a lot of pine trees and mountains."

"Richard," Sharon turned to him, rolling her eyes, "please do not base your college choice on skiing. Yes, location can be a huge factor, but let's look at all the schools on your list before you rule out any. Small, big, schools of all sizes have things to offer. No school is perfect, either. Northern Arizona didn't necessarily have the computer program you were wanting. We have a lot of schools to tour. Let's enjoy our day here at UCLA," she smiled. Ricky sighed, nodded, and he followed Sharon.

It was a half hour later they were in their group and being given instructions for the day. Ricky surveyed the crowd, noting that on his paperwork, he was asked if he had any college majors in mind. They'd then grouped people by that, not that it was any requirement, but it did help for the campus tour to receive information on areas they were most interested. He was with others interested in a wide array of programs to include math, computers, business, and several others he'd not paid any attention to as they called out groups.

"Mom," Ricky nodded to Sharon, as he whispered, "that guy and his son were on the tour with us over the weekend," he nodded to Sharon's right to indicate the man and son standing there.

"Hmm," Sharon nodded too, not paying much attention. "I expect that will be the case all next week. It's almost spring break time, and as much as I hate having to do these tours when everyone else in the state of California is, I guess it's to be expected."

"Yeah," he nodded. "Small world, I guess."

The tour continued, and Ricky seemed to get more and more excited about UCLA as the day went on. It was progress as far as Sharon was concerned. She was excited for her son to figure out his path in life, but she couldn't help but admit she would love for him to choose UCLA, to stay close to home. She'd already sent her daughter off to school, to Arizona State, and while she knew Emily was delighted to be in school there, it still was hard. She rarely saw her, and the trip there, while it could be worse, it wasn't just an hour or so away. It took time, effort, and planning, all which were difficult with her demanding job. With Ricky now, her baby, she hoped he would find the perfect school, but in her own secret way, hoped that perfect school was right here in town.

"Mom, they really do have a lot of the programs here I was wanting," Ricky grinned, as he walked up to Sharon. They had been walking around campus for quite some time, Sharon already having made a mental note to wear better walking shoes on the rest of their campus visits. She smiled at her son, nodding.

"I'm glad you are enjoying the campus. Yes, the school has a lot to offer. I know it happens to be right here where you have grown up, but Ricky, people from all over the world want to come here to study," she pointed out.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Oh, the dining hall," he smiled. "Now, I've got to check out this place," he grinned, moving closer to the front of the group to get all the information. Sharon chuckled, as she dropped to the back of the group to hang back. To her, a cafeteria was a cafeteria; she knew wherever her son ended up at school, he would be well fed.

"Is your son as interested in the food as mine is?" a voice next to her leaned in and asked. Sharon jumped slightly, not expecting anyone to speak to her. "I'm sorry to frighten you," he smiled. "I realize I must have alarmed you."

"Oh," she shook her head, "umm, it's fine. My son?" she looked a bit puzzled, trying to compose herself. "Yes," she chuckled again, "my son might be more interested in the food than what he studies." She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Yeah," he chuckled, "mine too. Can't say I blame him on some level. Growing boys and all. My son plays a lot of baseball too, so I guess his obsession with food stems from the fact he's very active and always hungry."

"Oh," Sharon smiled, "sounds about like my son. He plays baseball too. I know what you mean about the growing boy part. He can eat a meal when he gets home from school, and then when I get home from work and fix dinner, he can completely eat another meal. By 10:00 each evening, he's ready to eat again. I swear my daughter never ate like that."

"Mine too," he agreed, nodding. "I mean, my daughter. Sounds like we have a few things in common. I'm Andy," he stuck out his hand.

"Sharon," she nodded, taking his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," he nodded, "but you look familiar."

"Well," she thought a moment, "oh, were you at the University of Northern Arizona over the weekend? My son mentioned one father/son combo in the group had been on that campus tour with us."

"Ahh," he nodded, putting his finger to his mouth, "that must be it. Yes, I had him there over the weekend. He is looking at business, marketing specifically, or computers."

Sharon let out a small chuckle, "Computers or math," she nodded. "He says maybe even business, but I think that is a very distant third to the others."

"Mom, this place has so much food," Ricky smiled brightly as he rejoined Sharon. Both Sharon and Andy started to laugh, Ricky looking between the two, wondering who the guy was and why they were both laughing.

"Honey," she smiled to Ricky, "this is Andy, and his son, oh gosh," she blushed, "I didn't get your name."

Andy patted his son on the shoulder, "Nathan, or Nate really," he nodded, turning back to Ricky. "Your mom and I are laughing because we got to talking about how both you boys were probably more interested in the food rather than the programs you could study."

"Oh," Ricky turned red, shrugging, "well, they do have a lot of food options and meal plans."

"Unlimited," Sharon rolled her eyes, getting a confused look from Ricky. She patted his arm, "Don't' worry; whatever school you pick, we're getting the unlimited meal plan. It might be expensive, but for you, it's the only way you won't starve. You will have access to food all day long."

"I like that idea," Andy nodded. "Oh, the group is on the move," he nodded to them. The four started walking to catch up to the group, both boys moving to get closer to the front.

"So, is Nate putting UCLA at the top of his list?" Sharon asked, as she and Andy continued to walk together toward the back of the group.

He shook his head, "I don't think so, but quite frankly, I am not sure. His mom has been helping him narrow things down. Nate lives with his mom, and I'm only helping him this week because she can't," he offered and then corrected himself. "Oh, not that I don't want to go on these," he held up his hands. "I'm really excited to share this with Nate, but he hasn't involved me in the process much-that's all I meant."

"I see," Sharon nodded as Andy explained. "So, it's a father/son bonding trip?" she asked.

"I hope," he nodded. "We've been on the outs for awhile, but I really love my son, my kids," he corrected himself. "My ex-wife can't get time off work, and I could, so here I am. I'm taking him on a trip all next week during spring break."

Sharon smiled, "That sounds familiar," she nodded. "We are doing the same."

"Really?" he perked up. "Where else are you going?"

"Let's see," she started to think and tick off the visits. "We are going to Stanford, Arizona State, USC-which I know is local, but that's when we could get a tour, and Oregon State. It's going to be a long, but fun week."

He nodded, smiling, "Well, several of the same schools. We are also going to USC next week, Stanford, UNLV, Arizona State, Cal State, and San Diego State. It's a lot for about 10 days, but we'll make it."

"Oh," Sharon's eyes grew wide, "I forgot that one. We're going to San Diego State too."

He chuckled, shaking his head, "My daughter goes there."

"Mine goes to Arizona State," she grinned. "I guess you have plans with your daughter when you visit?"

"I do. Same for you?" he asked.

She nodded, "Yes, I do too."

"So, Oregon State?" he questioned.

Sharon hummed, "Yes, his best friend goes there," she shrugged. "I'm not sure it will be anywhere he's serious about attending, but it will be a nice trip, and we can take his best friend out to dinner. They have been friends since they were in the church nursery together," she smiled.

"Ahh, I understand. Nate's girlfriend is at UNLV, so that's partly why he wants to check it out. Personally, I'm not a fan of the girlfriend, so I hope he doesn't like the school."

Sharon chuckled, "I understand. I refused to take Ricky to tour the campus," and when she glanced at Andy, he had a strange look on his face. She shook her head to continue, "Sorry," she offered a smile. "My ex-husband apparently lives in Las Vegas with, well, who knows where he lives or with whom, but I didn't want anything to do with Ricky going to school there, no offense at all to the university. I'm sure it's a lovely campus."

"Ahh," Andy nodded, "no apologies necessary. I take it your ex is a gem," he flashed a smile. Sharon rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Mom? Did you hear what they said about the rest of the day?" Ricky dropped back to speak to Sharon.

"Sorry, honey," she offered a small smile. "I was speaking to Nate's dad here about other schools. What did they say?"

"Oh, we can go get lunch, and after, we have a schedule for the day."

Sharon nodded to Ricky, "Sounds good." She turned to Andy, "Well, it was very nice to meet you. Good luck on your college search."

"Likewise," Andy nodded. Nate had joined him too. "Maybe we'll see you on another tour."

"Oh, we're going all over the place this next week," Ricky groaned. "I'm excited to check out schools, but at the same time, it's spring break, and we'll be at school, learning all about them."

"That's exactly what I said!" Nate exclaimed, and the two started to laugh. Sharon met Andy's gaze and chuckled too.

"Well, best of luck to you," Sharon nodded again. "Let's hope that both boys not only find their school, but they get into the school they want."

"Agreed," Andy nodded. "Let's add then that hopefully we can all afford the tuition bills," he chuckled. "Safe travels, Sharon."

"Same to you," she waved, as she and Ricky headed off in search of lunch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, before you proceed...**

 **STOP READING. If you answer "Yes" to any of these, stop reading and leave the story.**

 **1\. You like being negative all the time.**

 **2\. Even though you saw the list of characters on the front page for this story, you want to complain about it having Sharon and Andy both in it.**

 **3\. You want to complain it's "just another Sharon and Andy story."**

 **4\. Had high hopes for a pre-Closer story, only to find it was another with Sharon and Andy.**

 **5\. You are tired of reading about Sharon and Andy.**

 **6\. You don't write anything, yet you enjoy remaining a guest on many people's story reviews and trashing anything just to be mean.**

 **7\. Don't like my writing, which begs the question of why would you read it anyway?**

 **8\. Any of the above are true, yet you decided to ignore and read anyway, just ready to then complain.**

 **9\. You want to argue that this isn't in their character.**

 **10\. While you saw the A/U on the title, you want to argue that too. A/U-Alternate Universe, so it won't be how the story goes.**

 **With that out of the way, proceed with caution. I'm taking some topics a couple people keep begging me to write about and working them into my story. Leave now if you don't want to read it. Really. I never ask for reviews. I just write. Glad if people enjoy, but for those who don't, stop complaining. The warnings were set out in the 10 statements above.**

 **To the rest, enjoy! It's short, but remember, we have a lot of touring to do!**

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It was now Tuesday morning. Sharon and Ricky were officially in the middle of their college search, and Sharon, at least, was tired already. They'd spent the weekend flying up to Oregon, where Ricky had liked the campus, but he hadn't been thrilled with it. The highlight of the weekend had been seeing his best friend, Sam. They had grown up together, just that Sam was a couple years older. He had been closer in age to Emily, but the boys had clicked early on. Sharon had taken the boys out to dinner, and Sam had spent time showing them around the campus. Ricky had even begged to sleep in Sam's dorm room, where he slept on the floor. Sharon had chuckled at the notion he wanted to sleep on the floor of a college dorm room instead of a bed in their hotel room. It had been a quick trip. They had flown up Friday after school, toured the campus Saturday, taken Sam to dinner Saturday night and brunch on Sunday, before they flew back to LA. They didn't spend much time in LA, though, either, just enough time to wash clothes and repack because on Monday, they started their driving tour. They were driving up to Stanford first, the school Ricky had almost written off because Jack had gone there, but Sharon had insisted that a lousy dad wasn't reason enough to write off a perfectly good school. So, Monday morning, the two loaded up the car to start their drive north. It had been a fun road trip up to Stanford, just one stop of many for the week, and now here they were, Tuesday.

"These tours are so in depth," Sharon commented as she studied their itinerary for the day. "When I was looking at colleges, we got a quick tour and a map of the campus. If you had questions, you asked students. Now, it's a tour, scheduled department tours, even a dorm room tour, wow," she sighed. "It's almost overwhelming, and I'm not the one even going to college," she chuckled.

Ricky finished eating his breakfast. Their hotel had a nice breakfast buffet set out, something Sharon noted when she had made the reservation. She'd specifically picked this hotel chain for the free buffet style breakfast and had booked this particular hotel for all their tour stops. She figured she might as well earn hotel points during this trip, and with the free buffet breakfast, she wouldn't break the bank with Ricky's eating habits.

"Yeah, it seems like a pretty cool school, even if Dad went there," he sighed, as he finished chewing his toast. "Does Dad even know we came up here?"

Sharon hummed as she continued to look through their information. She had a cup of tea and a bowl of mostly eaten fruit at her side. "I sent him an email explaining our week. It was somewhat of a safety thing, in case anything happened," she rolled her eyes as she met Ricky's. "Not that he ever lets us know where he is, but I did want to let him know we were flying and driving all over the West Coast. As for the school and all, he never commented, but if you decide to come here, you are a legacy, and that helps."

Ricky raised his eyebrows, "Not that Dad has helped in anyway my whole life."

Sharon shrugged as she chuckled, "True," she said as she put the cup of tea back down on the table, "but, luckily for us, the admission office doesn't ask if your father was a good one when you apply. They only ask about his attending here."

"Oh, hey, look," Ricky smiled, nodding toward the door. "It's that guy and his son, Nate. I forget the dad's name."

Sharon's gaze followed Ricky's and she shook her head. She looked back to Ricky, "This is a small world. We really need to pay attention to whomever else might be visiting the same schools this week." She and Ricky both waved at the men, who started to chuckle themselves as they made their way to the table.

"What a small world," Andy chuckled as he and Nate walked up to the table.

"That's what we just said," Sharon chuckled again. "It's Andy and Nate, right?"

"Yes," Andy nodded. "Sharon and Ricky?" he questioned as he pointed to the two of them.

"That's us," Ricky smiled. "We were just finishing our breakfast. I have a 9:00 tour."

"Ahh, very good," Andy nodded. "We scheduled the 11:30 tour. He's got other stuff this morning."

"Sounds familiar," Sharon nodded, as she gestured to the schedule for the day. "I was just commenting how in depth these college tours have become. It's a full day. I'm exhausted already thinking of it."

"Mom, you're partially exhausted because we've already flown to one school on this trip," Ricky pointed out.

"Oh?" Andy looked. "Where have you been, besides UCLA, of course. I forgot where you were headed."

"We flew up to Oregon State over the weekend. It was a nice trip, but yes, quick turnaround at home. We drove up here yesterday."

"Ahh," Andy nodded. "Yeah, I get it. I worked a half day yesterday before we hit the road. We toured Cal State over the weekend. His mom wanted to see that school. I think that's her favorite," he explained.

"Definitely not my favorite, though," Nate chimed in. "It was fine, but I don't think I want to go there."

"Well, it's good you are at least figuring that out. Ricky," she turned to her son and smiled, "is still narrowing things down, but I think Oregon State is out."

"Yeah," Ricky shrugged. "It would be cool to be near my friend again, but the school just didn't click with me. I can't explain it."

"Well," Andy nodded, "that does make sense. Sometimes, you can't explain why something is right or wrong. Trust your gut; that usually is the voice in your head talking to you."

"So, are you here for a couple days?" Sharon asked. "I wish we could stay longer. This area is so beautiful, but we have other stops."

"Same here," Andy nodded. "We're hitting the road through the desert to UNLV next."

"Ahh," Sharon smiled. "We're also headed to the desert, just further south to Arizona State. We would have put Northern Arizona on the tour then, but we couldn't get it setup when we wanted. So, we are headed to Phoenix."

"Ahh," Andy smiled. "I guess we'll be a day behind you."

"Oh, we are staying there a couple days," Sharon added. "That's where my daughter is in school."

"Yeah, not really sure I want to go to school where she is. I've already spent plenty of time around her," Ricky made a face.

"I'm so with you!" Nate exclaimed. "I don't want to go to school where my sister is either, even if San Diego is one of my favorite places. It's almost like she's ruined it."

"Well, I told you to keep an open mind and not rule out anything yet," Andy rolled his eyes, as he rocked back on his feet.

The two adults started to chuckle as the boys shared in their older sister misery. Sharon glanced at her watch.

"Oh, we need to get going," she looked to Ricky.

"We'll get out of your way. Nice to see you again. Hey, Phoenix is large, but maybe we'll see you there."

"Maybe," Sharon smiled. "Good luck with your tours."

"Same to you, Sharon," Andy smiled. He and Nate waved, and Ricky and Sharon returned the wave as they made their exit.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the comments! I've had a couple ask about my other ongoing story, "It's Your Lucky Day." I'm still finishing it. I'm away from that document and still need to rewatch an episode of The Closer before I post it. So, stay tuned. In the meantime, here's the next chapter of this story...

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"Sharon?" he said. Sharon looked up, both a bit startled and surprised that anyone knew her name.

"Andy, well, what a surprise," she chuckled. "I thought you two would have hit the road tonight for your next stop."

Andy shrugged, "Well, we talked about it when we planned the trip. I really am not a huge fan of that area-Vegas, which is our next stop, and I'm hoping Nate isn't too attached to the school. We're going to drive down there tomorrow, stay overnight, tour the school first thing the next morning, and they we are headed to Phoenix after that. Long couple of days, but we'll survive," he shrugged.

Sharon smiled, "I completely understand. We are hitting the road by 6:30 tomorrow morning I would get going earlier, but Ricky already scoped out the breakfast buffet. It opens at 6:00, and well, part of the reason I like this hotel chain is for the nice breakfasts. It saves me tons where Ricky is concerned," she chuckled. "So, we're going to grab breakfast and hopefully be out of here by 6:30. It should be anywhere from 11-12 hours to Phoenix, and that is without any traffic issues. I know we have to almost backpedal to Los Angeles, but," she shrugged, "it is what it is."

"Ahh, so, are you from LA?" Andy asked.

"Oh, yes," she rolled her eyes. "We do live in LA. You?"

"Same," he nodded. "Sorry, did I interrupt?" he nodded to her pile of paperwork and laptop. It was early evening, and Sharon had setup her work station in the hotel breakfast area where they had plenty of tables. The hotel had a complimentary cocktail hour, and she had gotten herself a glass of wine and settled in with work. She'd taken a week of vacation for this trip, but it still didn't change that she had a mountain of paperwork that had to get done, vacation or not.

"Oh," she waved off her paperwork, "yes and no. It's just work, but it can wait."

He nodded, "So, what do you do?"

"Can we not talk about work?" she pleaded. "I've been staring at these reports for a couple of hours now, and I really need to put them away." With that, she did start to scoop up her paperwork and put it away. She closed her laptop, and then she looked up to meet Andy's gaze.

"Oh sure!" he said a bit taken aback. "Sorry, I get it. I hate thinking about work when I'm away. Really, I didn't mean to interrupt," he chuckled. "Did your son go to that mixer thing they were having tonight?"

Sharon smiled, "He did go, and I need to remember I'm on vacation, college tours or not, and put work away for awhile. You didn't interrupt. You probably gave me a good reason to quit. Did your son go to that too?"

"Yeah," Andy nodded, "which was another reason we decided to stay here tonight. We saw that Stanford was doing that high school meet and greet mixer. He wanted to go, college party and all," Andy rolled his eyes, "but, I'm glad he's going. He seemed to like the campus. How about Ricky?"

Sharon pursed her lips, "Ricky likes the campus more than he wants to admit." Her eyes drifted to Andy, meeting his gaze, and she realized he didn't understand the problem. "My ex-husband, Ricky's dad, is a graduate of Stanford. He doesn't want to admit he likes his dad's school."

"Ahh," Andy nodded, relaxing his posture, and putting his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, that would be a bit awkward. Doesn't want to associate with dad, but he likes dad's school. Tough call."

"Yes," Sharon said carefully. "It is. We will see how he likes the other schools. "

"Hey, I won't keep you," Andy told her, "but I am walking to that movie theater out just down from the hotel. I know the boys aren't supposed to get back until later tonight, and I was going stir crazy in the room. I already worked out in the hotel gym, so a movie sounded like a good plan. No pressure, but if you are interested, you are welcome to come along."

Sharon opened her mouth to decline, but somehow, she smiled. "That actually sounds like a great idea, better than sitting here drinking yet another glass of free wine and burying myself in paperwork I really need to put away for now." She saw Andy crack a smile at that, and she stood, "Are you sure you don't mind the company?"

"On the contrary," he pointed out, "I won't look like the weird guy going by himself to the movies. I don't even know what I'm seeing. It's whatever is playing at 7:30."

"Okay then," Sharon offered a smile. "If you don't mind giving me a moment, let me take my work upstairs, and I will grab my sweater."

"Take your time," Andy nodded and sat down to wait for her.

Sharon reappeared not even 10 minutes later having changed her clothing. "Sorry," she smiled. "I decided to go with jeans. I'd been in my dress pants all day, and I am excited to relax. A movie sounds just perfect, no matter what we see."

"Great," Andy smiled as he stood. "Great minds think alike," he nodded to his pants. "I changed into my jeans too. If you had on a black t-shirt instead of the red, we would match," he grinned. "Oh, not that red doesn't look good on you. It does. You look great, actually," he said as he stumbled over his words. Sharon just shook her head in a giggle.

"Andy, it's fine. I know you weren't suggesting I look terrible. Ready to go?" she asked changing topics.

"Yes," Andy let out a loud sigh, as he and Sharon walked to the door, and he held it open for her. "I hope the short walk is okay?"

"Great," she shook her head. "What's another quarter mile when we've already walked half the city today with the tour?"

"Tell me about it," he groaned. "How was your tour?"

"Crowded," Sharon nodded, "but it's spring break in California. I knew it would be. I guess it's nice they are doing some of these mixer things this week knowing all the prospective students are on spring break Yours?"

"Crowded too. Nate wasn't complaining. It was almost all girls by some twist of fate. I'm sure he'll check to see if any of the young ladies are at tonight's mixer" he chuckled. "Is Ricky doing the meet and greet evening when you are at Arizona State?"

"He is," Sharon hummed. "He's more excited about those than the tours. I might need to be concerned about his ability to actually attend classes in college."

Andy chuckled in an agreeing nod, "I hear you. Nate is doing the same there, Thursday evening, right?"

"Yes," Sharon smiled in agreement. "Guess we might run into each other then too."

"Maybe we can see another movie then too," Andy chuckled at his silly suggestion. "We'll have seen all the new releases by the time we get back to LA."

Sharon laughed too, covering her mouth. She caught Andy glancing at her. "What? That was funny."

He shrugged, "You really have a great laugh. Anyone tell you that?"

"Thank you," she nodded to him, "and no." Sharon's mind trailed off a moment, trying to remember if Jack had ever commented on her laugh. She didn't think he had. He'd always called her hot, never really beautiful. Jack even resorted to 'smoking hot' when he wanted to charm her. No, Jack had never commented on her laugh.

"Okay," Andy pulled his glance away from her, and she snapped out of her memories. Sharon could tell he'd lingered over her, and she had even enjoyed it, but he was probably trying to figure out what she was thinking.. "Let's see what is playing," he rubbed his hands together. "Well, looks like we missed the action movie by 20 minutes. Romantic comedy?" he asked.

"Sure," she shrugged. "I can promise you Ricky won't be disappointed he missed this one."

"I'm just glad my friends can't see me now," Andy grinned. "Not exactly the romantic comedy reputation guy, but I'm happy to see it tonight to just unwind."

"Agreed," Sharon said. "Let's get our tickets."

"After you," he gestured. Sharon stepped up to the ticket window and as she started to purchase her ticket, Andy quickly slipped his credit card to the cashier.

"Make it two for that movie," he told the girl. Sharon looked at him, surprised.

"You don't have to buy my ticket!" she exclaimed.

"I know," he shrugged. "My mom, if she was still alive, would kill me for not doing that, though. I know it's not some kind of date, but she taught me to always be a gentleman around ladies."

"Well, thank you," Sharon offered a nod. "I'll accept, but I am a very modern thinker and all," she shrugged.

Andy held up his hand, "Hey, I get it. I respect women's rights and all. Just trying to be a nice guy."

"Appreciated," she nodded. "I can't remember the last time anyone bought my ticket. I'll get food?" she suggested.

"I'll consent to that," he smiled, "you know, can't argue with a modern woman who wants to share the expenses."

"Alright, would you like something to drink? Popcorn?"

"Sure, a bottle of water and just a little popcorn. I thought about grabbing a sandwich or something after the movie. Long day tomorrow, so I don't want to be worn out."

"Good idea," she agreed. "I'll get the food."

The two found their way to the theater and settled in for the movie. It wasn't that busy for a romantic comedy in the middle of the week. Soon, they were engrossed in the story and found the movie to play out quickly.

"Shocking," Andy feigned a face of shock as he mocked the movie on their way out, "the couple ended up happily ever after."

Sharon laughed as they started to walk back to the hotel, "Yes, very original."

"At least the guy was full of surprises. I try to be full of surprises myself," he explained.

"And, the lady was smart, progressive, and okay if she had to stand on her own, which she decided she wanted to follow her heart. It was sweet, but definitely not a movie Ricky would want to see with me. Thanks for going," she told him.

"Thank you," Andy nodded. "It's just after 9:00 now. The boys should still have another couple hours before they get back. Would you care to grab a bite to eat in the hotel?"

Sharon pursed her lips as she drew her sweater tighter, "Sure," she nodded. "One condition," she said, waiting for Andy to agree. He chuckled and nodded. "We split the check."

"Deal," he nodded. "I can handle that."

With the late hour, they were seated quickly in the small hotel restaurant and were quiet as they surveyed the menu.

"Anything look good?" he asked.

"The Greek salad," she told him. "Filling enough for me, but it won't be too heavy. Ricky would order their deluxe burger with fries," she laughed.

"Nate would too," Andy grinned.

"What about you?" Sharon asked.

"I am planning to get the broiled Halibut. I eat a lot of fish," he explained.

"Oh," she raised her eyebrows, "that sounds very good too."

Once they ordered, they settled into basic chit chat. Andy remembered to avoid any work talk; he understood more than anyone how nice it was to put work aside for awhile.

"What do you enjoy doing in your free time?" he asked her.

"Well," she took a sip of water, "I enjoy reading. I also love to go to the ballet and art galleries."

"Hmm," Andy nodded. He remained quiet. Sharon chuckled.

"I take it that's not your cup of tea?" she asked.

"Not so much," he offered. "I like to go to sporting events. I'm also very active in my AA support group."

"Oh?" Sharon raised her eyebrows. "AA, I didn't realize."

He waved her off, "You wouldn't," he explained. "I don't wear a t-shirt or anything that advertises it, but I'm not ashamed of it. I was an alcoholic for years, but I've been sober now for five. That's the real reason my wife divorced me; I wouldn't stop drinking back then."

"I'm sorry," Sharon nodded. "Believe me, I understand what alcohol does to a family."

He raised his eyebrows, "Your husband too?"

Sharon offered a small smile, "Yes, it tore us apart, but he further trashed things by leaving us and cheating on my repeatedly. Unlike you, though, he doesn't think he has a problem, so he's not in AA."

"Ahh," Andy sighed. "That's tough."

"Yes," Sharon grew silent. She then waved her hands, "Enough of that for tonight. Tell me about Nate playing baseball. It sounds like the boys have a lot in common."

Their dinner conversation flowed smoothly, and before they knew it, the restaurant was closing.

"Oh wow, it's 10:00 already," Andy said as he looked at his watch.

"I really need to get back to my room and pack up," Sharon said.

"Oh, sure," Andy nodded. "I'll cash out the check."

"Not before this," Sharon said as she pulled money out of her wallet. "That should cover mine."

He eyed her, "That's more than enough. Really, Sharon, it's too much."

"It's fine. Thank you for getting me out of the hotel a bit tonight. I do appreciate it and had a great time," she explained. Andy stood as she did to be a gentleman.

"Thank you for going along with me. Don't tell anyone I enjoyed the romantic comedy," he winked to her. Sharon, with her eyes sparkling, smiled up at him as she let out a quick giggle.

"Goodnight, Andy," she touched his forearm. He reached over to squeeze her shoulder.

"Night, Sharon. Be safe on the road tomorrow. You wouldn't happen to be staying at this same hotel chain by Arizona State, would you?"

Sharon smiled brightly, "Yes, yes, I am. Huge breakfast for Ricky and cocktail hour for me," she shrugged.

"Well, then, I will look for you there," he smiled. "See you in Phoenix."


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a long day, and Sharon was tired. Every bit of the week's travels was starting to catch up with her. All she wanted to do now was get on the elevator and get back to her room where she could get out of her wet swimsuit and into a hot shower. Over the last two days, they'd had a very long drive from California. It had taken over 12 hours with some traffic, but Sharon knew to be thankful because it could have been worse. She was quickly reminded of one reason she preferred California to Arizona-the weather. She and Ricky had arrived at their hotel to a very hot spring day. While it was April, it was still 100 degrees, and she was instantly missing the cooler weather of Northern California they had just left behind. She also cursed herself that once again, she would be on a college tour at this school in the heat. She should have learned from her last trip and come in the winter. Still, she was glad to be here for a couple of days, glad to see Emily even if she was busy, and glad to have a little time to catch her breath.

They had arrived the night before after the long drive, and their day today had started with a campus tour. She remembered quite a bit from Emily's tour, but Ricky, who had been 14 at the time, had complained about the heat and everything else he could, so he had not paid attention the first time around. This time, he did, and he had enjoyed the tour, maybe more than Sharon expected. He'd professed over and over he didn't want to go to the same school as Emily, but she had to admit that it would be nice to have both her children in the same place, well, at the same school, at least. Emily would only be in school one more year, but that would be very for both kids. At the end of the day, it was still Ricky's decision, and right now, Sharon didn't know exactly what he was thinking. They had done a lot of touring over the past week or so.

Sharon was also a bit relieved that Emily had a test and paper in the morning. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her daughter; she did want to see her, but Sharon was ready to just sit. She and Ricky had met Emily for an early dinner, and then they'd all gone their separate ways. It was now Thursday evening, and Emily was studying, Ricky was at the arranged spring break high school mixer, and Sharon was ready to relax. They would stay one more night in Phoenix to see Emily, and then bright and early Saturday morning, she and Ricky were headed back to LA where they would sleep in their own beds Saturday night before touring USC Sunday. Again, it wasn't her plan to tour USC on the weekend, but that's when they could get a tour, so she was trying to roll with things. It would be nice to be back in LA after all the traveling, and maybe after this week, Ricky would be able to narrow down his college choices.

"There you are!" Sharon turned quickly, a bit surprised. She was in a daze, standing there waiting on the elevator as she'd thought back over the week she and Ricky had shared. The voice that startled her belonged to another person with whom she'd shared some enjoyable moments of the week as well.

"Andy," she smiled warmly after she shook off her dazed glance. "How nice to see you."

"Same to you," he smiled. "I hope I'm not too forward, but especially nice to see you in a swimsuit coming from the pool, even if you are partially covered up with that towel."

Sharon looked to the ground as she smiled. Andy had a way to make her smile, and he had a way about him that she sort of liked. He was really forward, not a trait she'd seen much from Jack, not in a good way, and Andy, she could tell, was trying to be sweet and flirty at the same time.

"Well, you missed the show in the pool," she nodded with the only response she could think. "I love to swim laps. That's what I was doing."

Andy put his hand over his heart, "You're killing me," he winked as he chuckled. "Actually, if anything is killing me, it's the hotel's gym. I'm beat."

"Ahh," she nodded at his workout attire. "I was about to ask if you went for a run outside in this heat. The weather is brutal, especially since we've been up in Northern California for a few days."

"Yeah," he chuckled, "you're telling me. Vegas was even hotter than this, and I think that alone convinced Nate it wasn't the school for him." He flashed a smile. "I never thought the weather would be the deciding factor, but it might. I can't even imagine move in day here in August in this heat."

"It is brutal," Sharon nodded. "I've moved my daughter in two times in that heat."

"Oh, that's right," he said, as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Andy gestured for Sharon to enter ahead of him. There were no others getting on the elevator. "I'm surprised you aren't with your daughter tonight."

Sharon shrugged, "Well, she has a test and a paper due, both in the morning. Ricky and I took her to an early dinner, and then she went back to her room. Hopefully, tomorrow, we can see more of her. Is Nate at that mixer thing?"

"He is," Andy stated. "We toured UNLV this morning and well," he chuckled, "he didn't even want to stay after that. It was so hot, and he said he was done. So, we high tailed it down here knowing he wanted to go to that mixer tonight. Now, you might have to explain to me his thinking if he vetoes UNLV for the heat but not Arizona State," he shook his head. "We'll see."

Sharon covered her mouth as she laughed, and the elevator arrived on her floor. "Well, this is me," she nodded.

"Hey," Andy reached out and stopped her arm. "I was thinking about going to another movie if you are interested? I saw a theater about a mile from here as we drove in. I was pretty tired then, but after my workout, well, a movie sounds good. Nate said they aren't supposed to finish until midnight or so. Is that what Ricky told you?"

Sharon stopped in the elevator door to keep it from closing on her, "Yes," she nodded. "That mixer is supposed to end at midnight with shuttles back to the hotels. Ricky begged though to stay with Emily. Now, as confusing as the desert climate might be for Nate's college decision making, explain why the kid who doesn't want to go to the same college as his sister is begging to stay with her?" Sharon smiled as she chuckled and shook her head. "This is all why Emily is trying to get her paper done and studying finished. Ricky is staying with her on her couch. She's in this apartment style place with two roommates, and Ricky thinks he's some college bigshot for getting to sleep on her couch while I'll be roughing it here at the hotel. She's going to pick him up at midnight."

"Got it, so this really is a vacation for you, at least a couple nights?" he teased.

"It is," she said. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "You asked about a movie. You know what-I would love to go," she offered a bright smile. "Could you give me about 45 minutes?"

"Of course," he grinned. "I can stop by your room to get you if you like?"

"Perfect. I'm in 517. See you shortly," she waved. She stood there after the elevator door closed, a huge smile still on her face. Something about him she really liked, yet she didn't really know anything about him. She knew he was divorced, from LA, a recovering alcoholic with two children, and that was about it. She also knew he was kind, courteous, and bold. She smiled as she walked to her room. Exhausted as she was, this college road trip was quite enjoyable.

A bit later, she heard the knock on the door and glanced at her watch. It was exactly 45 minutes later. She had to hand it to Andy; he was prompt, something Jack never was. Jack was always a few minutes late, well, except when it was payday, and he was quick to empty out their checking account then. Thank goodness, she had divorced him, but it was refreshing to have a gentleman arrive on time as he promised.

"I'm ready," she said, a bit breathless as she flung open the door. Her sparkling green eyes met his, and she noticed, really for the first time, that he had a beautiful pair of chestnut eyes, even darker brown in some light."

"You look fantastic," he said happily. Sharon looked down at her simple white shorts and black print top.

"Oh," she shrugged, "I couldn't stand the idea of pants in this heat, even for a movie theater. I'm sure I'll regret it later."

He nodded, "So, bad news about the movies."

"Oh," Sharon looked up, now perplexed.

"Yeah, I called the theater, and they are actually closed tonight. Get this," he chuckled. "A/C is out."

"Oh!" Sharon exclaimed, covering her mouth. "That is a problem. Even if they were open, I couldn't do the movies in this heat without a/c."

"Agreed," Andy held up his hand. "So, I guess we really don't have plans, which is a shame because you do look so nice."

"We could watch a movie here," Sharon said before she realized what had come out of her mouth. She panicked a little, hoping that wasn't evident on her face, as she looked to Andy. Now that it was out, she couldn't backpedal, so she proceeded with caution. "I mean, I have this suite style room. I love this hotel for that. Living room area with the couch and all. It's not the movies, but I do offer air conditioning and bottled water," she teased.

Andy chuckled as he spoke, "Hey, you don't have to do that. I am perfectly capable of going back to my room too. I know you are probably as tired as I am. Yes, I was feeling energized after my workout, but honestly, I don't know if I'll make it through a movie."

"Oh," Sharon bit her lip and nodded. "No problem, then."

"I didn't say no," he smiled to her as he put his hand on hers. She had her arms crossed, and he touched the hand closest to him. "I just don't want you to go to any trouble, and I wanted to warn you I'm feeling tired and old tonight."

"It's no trouble," she smiled, "and, you can't be tired and old because then I would be too. I have a cooler full of bottled water for the trip. I'm light on snacks, though" she grinned. "Ricky and I need to restock tomorrow, but we can see what is on if you like?"

"Sure," he smiled, and Sharon moved aside for him to enter the room. They took a few seconds to get situated on the couch, Sharon putting out water for both of them, while she handed Andy the remote.

"I really don't have a movie preference, so please pick," she nodded. Andy searched for a couple of minutes, before he sighed.

"Well, there isn't much on," he frowned.

"Baseball?" Sharon asked. "Do you watch a lot? I remember you saying you went to games. I'm good for a baseball game."

"Really?" he grinned. Sharon nodded, and Andy turned to the sports channel. "Ahh, looks like the Diamondbacks, and while not my favorite team, it's still baseball."

"Agreed," Sharon said. "Cheers," she offered her water to his. He smiled, clinking his plastic water bottle with hers as they settled into a comfortable silence.

It felt like minutes, but Sharon quickly realized they must have fallen asleep because it was now just after 10:00. She sat up, feeling badly that she had fallen asleep on Andy's shoulder. As she sat up, she jostled his head, noting that while her head was on his shoulder, his had rested against hers, almost as if they were putting their minds together. She glanced over to see the game was still on.

"Oh, did I fall asleep?" Andy groaned as he sat up. He put his head in his hands and tried to wake himself up. "Sorry about that."

"Hmm, we both did," Sharon said, as she sat up too and looked over to him. His glance met hers, and before they knew it or could say who initiated it, they kissed. It seemed to surprise both, as they pulled back, stunned expressions, both pensive as they tried to make light of their kiss. That look only lasted a moment or so before they kissed again. Sharon hummed into the kiss, pulling Andy closer, and he reciprocated by running his hand through her hair. Their kiss intensified, and before long, Andy broke apart.

"I should go," he sighed, shaking his head.

"If you want," Sharon shrugged and bit her lip. Andy looked up at her surprised. She continued, "We could, I mean, it's, well, no one since my husband," she finally explained after she stumbled over her words. Sharon could feel herself turning bright red, especially for once, she was the bold one. Andy's surprised look dropped off quickly as he caught up to her.

"You're sure?" he asked.

Sharon nodded, "Ricky's gone, and you said Nate wouldn't be back for awhile still. There's something I've really liked about you since I first met you. When I divorced my husband, I told myself I was going to live in the moment, and I've been trying to do that, not very successfully, but still," she smiled. "This is me living in the moment," she gestured to herself.

Andy stood, pulling her up too, as he kissed her again. "Oh, I don't have," he turned red. "I mean, I don't do this sort of thing so I'm not prepared."

She smiled at him, "Not to worry. I'm on the pill, medical reasons," she shrugged.

He grinned again, "I knew this college road trip was a fantastic idea." Sharon laughed as they closed the door to the adjoining room.

It was an hour later that Sharon regretted her evening, not because of Andy, but she didn't like feeling that bold. It was uncomfortable for her to suggest something she held so sacred, especially to someone she'd only recently met. What made it even worse was she still didn't know much about Andy. Now, as she stood against the door to her room, after kissing him good bye, she thought back and rolled her eyes. She was an idiot. Who did this kind of thing and on their kid's college search? People always made fun of college kids going wild on spring break, and here, the joke was on Sharon. College mom gone wild on spring break. She groaned, smacking her head against the door. She should not have done that, not that she hadn't enjoyed herself. Andy had been so great to her, and yet, here she was thinking of how stupid she had been. She still had to face the guy, and now, she didn't know what to say. Maybe she wouldn't have to see him, though, as she thought to herself. He was doing the early tour with Nate, he had mentioned, and then they were driving to San Diego to see his daughter. Just like she was spending a couple days with her daughter, Andy was doing the same in San Diego. It was going to be awkward, very awkward if she had to see him, and now, she didn't even know his last name. She sighed, covering her face with her hands and shook her head as she walked to her bathroom. She needed to freshen up and get some sleep. For once, she was very glad neither of her children were anywhere around to see what a foolish mistake she had made. Her day had taken a turn she could never have imagined, and now all she wanted to do was hide in her room. Maybe if she hid long enough in the morning, she wouldn't have to see Andy ever again.


	5. Chapter 5

Sharon and Ricky returned from their college road trip with a lot of questions, Sharon with one she couldn't possibly voice to Ricky. While Ricky had normal questions regarding which college he should choose, Sharon had questions about her, "Girl Gone Wild" behavior on the trip. It was embarrassing enough for her to even think, and she couldn't imagine Ricky ever finding out about her behavior. Ricky had sensed something was off with her, as had Emily while they were still in Phoenix. Sharon had done what she promised herself she would do; she'd hid from Andy. She hid in her room until lunchtime, knowing that by now, he would have to be somewhere on campus. By lunchtime that day, she was starving, only having had a cup of coffee in the room, so she made a quick exit of the hotel and wandered around until she found lunch. By mid-afternoon that day, Ricky and Emily were both free, and she spent the rest of the day with her kids. It had been a nice distraction because she still thought about Andy all afternoon. She swore she could still smell his aftershave, even though she'd tried to scrub it off. The kids asked if something was wrong that day on more than one occasion, but luckily she was able to convince them the long trip was just wearing on her. So, they had parted ways again, Sharon and Ricky went to LA, leaving Emily behind. She wouldn't be home for the summer; she was staying Phoenix, but the three promised to see each other soon.

Soon didn't end up being for quite some time. Emily was busy all summer with a ballet intensive and found a part time job teaching ballet. That kept her very busy, as Sharon was back at home. She thought of Andy on and off all that summer, cursing that she didn't know more about him. However, on that same note, she wasn't sure what she would have done IF she knew more about him. She wasn't sure she wanted to date anyone. That was embarrassing too, even though people dated all the time. Here she was a divorced mid-40's mom of two, and she couldn't imagine dating again, at least not with Ricky home too. The last thing she wanted to do was to compare dating notes with her own son they both dated. No, she couldn't do that right now. Maybe she would feel differently when she had a completely empty nest, but for now, she had Ricky at home, and his dating was enough for her. One dating Raydor in the house was plenty.

Still, even though Sharon wasn't sure what she would have done with Andy's information, she couldn't help but wonder where in the big sea of LA he was. She often found herself thinking of him as she would stare out her office window. It had a good view of the city, all those floors up; she could see for miles. Somewhere out there, Andy-whatever his name was-lived and worked too. He was close, yet so far away.

Sharon had initially tried to find out Andy's information through Ricky. No, she never ever disclosed what she'd done there in the Phoenix hotel room, but she had asked him about Nate.

 _"Did you and Nate ever exchange numbers or anything?" she asked him one day randomly._

 _"No, why?" he looked up from his bowl of cereal, an odd expression on his face._

 _"Oh, no reason," Sharon shrugged it off. "I was just thinking about all these applications you are finishing. It's been the summer of college applications," she joked. "In all that, I just was thinking back to our college tour week and wondered where he decided to go to school."_

 _"Nope, sorry," Ricky shrugged. "Guys aren't like girls, mom, exchanging all their information. He was just a guy I met."_

 _"Gotcha," Sharon nodded, trying to act nonchalant. "So, you never got his last name either? You know, just to check on whenever you get to college. It would be interesting to see if you pick the same place."_

 _"No," he shook his head. "Never got that much info."_

 _Sharon silently chuckled, thinking that she, neither, had gotten that much information, and while she couldn't blame Ricky, she should blame herself. Ricky and Nate toured a few campuses together, learning about different programs. Andy, well, he learned a great deal too, just about Sharon. She was the idiot who should have asked for the last name, not Ricky._

Now, as the summer had come to a close, and Ricky had started his senior year, Sharon had tried to push her indiscretion of the spring behind her. She had work and Ricky to focus on this fall. Ricky had eliminated a few schools, but he was still deciding between Stanford and Arizona State. Sharon wasn't pressuring him to make a decision, and she felt that he would have already picked Stanford had Jack not been an alumni. Something about picking Jack's school after all the messes Jack had put them through had Ricky hesitant to pick the school. When the time came, Sharon knew she would go over that again, not forcing his hand, but encouraging Ricky to pick the school he wanted, even if it was the same school as his deadbeat father. The Arizona State pick was a surprise to Sharon, knowing that it meant Ricky and Emily would attend the same school. She had to hand it to Ricky, though. The school had some great programs, both did, honestly, and that is why Ricky was going back to both for a computer weekend.

It was evident the schools were all in competition with each other because Ricky received the weekend invites less than a week apart the first week of September. Stanford was holding its computer weekend the last weekend of September, and Arizona State was holding its program the first week of October. Ricky had already applied to both schools, and Sharon felt this would be the tipping scale, so while it was going to be a busy couple of weeks for them, she had agreed Ricky should attend. Plus, Sharon couldn't hide her excitement that after several months, they would get some time with Emily. So, that is how she found herself now packing for a trip to Stanford at the end of September.

Sharon had pulled Ricky out of school Friday and Monday, knowing the drive was long, and lucky for Ricky, he'd gotten the days marked as excused due to the learning nature of the trip. It was a two-day course in computers, and it was directly related to his college applications, so they were both glad the Catholic school was understanding. After their long drive up Friday, they arrived at the hotel. They had gotten dinner on the way in, so they both called it an early night, knowing Ricky had a full two days planned. Sharon would have some time to shop, sight-see, and relax, a mini-vacation for her as well.

Saturday went pretty smoothly. She got Ricky dropped off on time and in the right location, promising to see him for lunch. The school was going to shuttle the kids back after dinner. Sharon enjoyed her free time, and by Sunday morning, she was feeling well rested. Sunday, she and Ricky got breakfast in the hotel, and then she dropped him off with his group again. She arrived back at the hotel, and after curling up with a good book all morning, lunch out, she was ready to relax for a couple of hours before she had to pick up Ricky. They would get to bed early knowing they had a long drive in the morning. To start off her relaxing afternoon, she stopped in the hotel's coffee shop to pickup her favorite hot tea. It was then she spotted him across the lobby, coming out of the gym area.

Quickly, she followed him to the elevator, walking up behind him. "What are you doing here? "I was hoping I might see you here," she told him, not sure where her bold attitude was coming from yet again. Sharon panicked, wondering if he would even remotely feel the same.

He spun around, a look of utter surprise on his face, "I'm guessing the same as you-the computer and business weekend at Stanford?" he asked.

"Umm, yes," she said, now nervous and giddy at the same time. She smiled at him, first a small smile, then a wide one. "I wasn't sure I would see you again."

"Did you want to see me again?" he asked. "I had a feeling when I left your room last spring you were regretting everything. I didn't want to push. I know how it is after a divorce, believe me, and I didn't want to assume anything."

She shook her head, not sure of her answer, "I've thought of you a lot," she offered, again, wanting to curse herself for being bold and forthcoming. If she was trying to play hard to get, she had failed with a capital F.

He nodded, "That time together," he sighed, "it was amazing."

"Would you like to again?" she said, covering her mouth instantly as she couldn't believe what had just come out of it. Andy must have been surprised too gauging the expression on his face. "I'm sorry," she apologized quickly. "I have never been like this with a man, propositioning myself. There's something about you."

He looked to his watch, "I have an hour."

"You do?" she asked with a hopeful smile. "Maybe it's the no strings attached, maybe it's the mystery that I don't you, maybe it's the thrill of something I would never do, but we can, umm," she started to stammer as she was now getting cold feet. Andy reached out and grasped her hand.

"Your room or mine?" he asked.

"Ahh," she shook her head, still in disbelief this was happening again. "Yours," she told him, and quickly, they stepped onto the elevator. Once the doors closed, they started to kiss, neither sure of who initiated the kiss, just that both were very much into the kiss.

"It's just down here," he said with a raspy voice as he pulled her down the hall while fumbling with his key card. He had no sooner opened the door, that they began kissing again. Not much later, but very much in the middle of things, Andy was startled when his phone started to ring.

"If it's Nathan, we could have a problem," he told her between kisses. Sharon nodded, and she realized it must have been Nathan because Andy sighed to take the call.

"You're in the lobby?" she heard Andy say, and with that, she quickly got up and started to get dressed. She was disheveled and anyone seeing her would know exactly what she had been doing, but she couldn't possibly let Andy's son see her. Andy hung up and turned to Sharon, who was now back in her dress, putting her sandals back on. "I'm sorry. He's already downstairs, took the early shuttle back because his business group got done early. I told him I'd meet him there, but I do have to go."

"It's okay," Sharon offered a small smile. "This was fun, a nice way to reconnect," she shrugged. "No strings." Andy had stood up and was getting dressed himself. He started to say more to Sharon, but she was feeling very awkward and self-conscious again. She leaned up and kissed him before he could speak. "I enjoyed it. Take care, Andy," and before he could say another word, she was out the door. She had to get out of there quickly before she made an even bigger fool of herslf. What was wrong with her anyway? Walking up to a somewhat strange man in the hotel lobby and going back to his room? It was almost creepy. She was sure once Andy had a moment to think about it, he'd realize she was some lonely mid-40 divorcee who just wanted to use him. On some level, she figured that was a pretty accurate assumption, but still, she shook her head thinking that Jack would just die if he had any idea how bold she had become since she'd divorced him. It was completely out of her character, completely un-Sharon, but while she hated herself for what she'd just done AGAIN, she had a small smile at just the turn of afternoon's events.

It wasn't until she got back to her room that she realized again she hadn't gotten his last name. Well, she hadn't gotten much information at all. Somehow, they had barely spoken through the encounter, and she started to smack her hand against the bathroom counter as she realized just how stupid she was. What was her problem? This man was melting her every chance she saw him. What was worse is she had no idea his room number and couldn't go up and down the sixth floor trying to find the right room. It was the sixth floor, right? That, now, she wasn't even sure. They'd made out in the elevator, surely giving anyone in the security room a good show, and once they'd gotten off on his floor, she hadn't exactly paid attention to rooms. She'd been fixated on him, not letting him out of her sight or grip. She'd spent the short walk to his room attached to his side, hand in hand. Once again, she had initiated everything and while she'd enjoyed it, she hadn't left the afternoon with any new information. Suddenly, she was hating these college road trips and the person she was becoming on them.


	6. Chapter 6

Sharon wasn't sure how they got back to LA. She drove some; Ricky drove some, and somehow, they got home. She realized she should have been alarmed that she didn't pay better attention to her teenage son driving on the freeway, but he was a good driver, and thankfully, they'd made it home without any issues. Except that, she'd created more issues with her idiotic behavior over the weekend. After her time with Andy, she panicked again. She made up an excuse to Ricky that she had to get home for work, so they had to leave early, and by early, she meant before the famous breakfast buffet. She also explained it away that she wanted to get out of the early morning rush of traffic, promising him they could stop for as much food as he wanted after they got out of the city. At this point, she wanted to throw money at things and make them go away. While she'd picked the hotel because of its ability to feed Ricky for the all-inclusive price of their room, today, she was willing to fork over whatever it took to NOT see Andy for breakfast. There was something odd about running into a person, well, she really didn't have a name for him or a way to describe him, so there was just something about running into a person she'd been vulnerable, yes, that's the best word-vulnerable with on now more than one occasion, and she didn't want to deal with him.

"I really liked the campus, Mom," Ricky told her the next morning over breakfast. She and Ricky had arrived Monday mid-afternoon, and because of her freak out to get home due to work, she'd dragged herself to the office to take care of the so-called emergency. Really, she had signed some paperwork, but she spent most of the time sitting at her desk telling herself over and over what an idiot she was. Now, here, breakfast on Tuesday morning, she needed to snap out of it. Her son was trying to talk to her.

"I'm glad to hear it, Ricky. Are you still wanting to go to Arizona State this weekend?" she asked. Secretly, Sharon was now dreading the trip. She had no idea if Andy was also going to be there, but with her luck, he probably would be. She wasn't sure what she would do when she saw him. Her emotions were all over the place, so she tried to file that away as she sat down to speak to Ricky, cup of tea in hand.

"Yeah, I want to go. Are you going to be upset if I pick Stanford? I'm sure Dad will say he's the one who influenced my decision."

Sharon chuckled as she sipped her tea, and she turned in her seat to address Ricky, "Ricky, I am more than okay if you decide to go to Stanford. This is your decision, and I support it. I am not pulling for one school over another, but give yourself this weekend to give Arizona State a fair shake, and then make your decision."

He nodded, taking a bite of his eggs, "This is assuming I get in to either place."

Sharon hummed, "You'll get it. You're a computer whiz, and you are top of your class. You play baseball and have done a ton of volunteer work at the church. I have no doubt."

"Thanks," he nodded. "Well, I'm off to school. I've got some work to get caught up on tonight, and I'm trying to work ahead since we'll be out of town again this weekend."

"About that," Sharon turned in her seat as Ricky packed up his bag, "I spoke to the school about you missing Friday and Monday again. You just have to take in the documentation of the trip, and I've signed it all over on my desk."

"Okay, thanks," he smiled. "I'll drop it off today. Believe me, I don't want to mess up any chance I have of missing school. I'm really looking forward to the weekend."

With that, Ricky set off for school, and Sharon smirked at his last statement of 'looking forward to the weekend.' Sharon wished she could say the same. She was looking forward to it, parts of it anyway. It was going to be another long drive, but she and Ricky had a laid-back relationship. She was elated at the chance to spend time with Emily, and she was going to savor every minute. It was Andy, the dark cloud of Andy, the unknown, that had her wondering, maybe hoping, he might be there too.

Before she knew it, Sharon was in Phoenix for the weekend. She and Ricky had spent most of Friday driving, both enjoying their road trip. It occurred to Sharon that she wouldn't have many more of these with her son; her kids were growing up, and she needed to enjoy these moments when she had them. With that in mind, she tried to put any panicked thoughts of seeing Andy out of her mind. After arriving at the hotel, they called Emily and setup a time to pick her up for dinner. The three spent the evening together, eating at Emily's favorite restaurant, taking her grocery shopping (because Emily, the typical college student, had admitted during dinner that she was eating buttered pasta noodles mostly because she hadn't made an effort to go to the store in awhile), and picked up a few other odds and ends for Emily, all before dropping her off at home with Ricky. Sharon had tried to convince Ricky to stay at the hotel with her, a bit worried at any dumb decisions she might make without Ricky in the room as an excuse, but her kids had been convincing. Emily had even promised to let Ricky use her car in the morning to attend his program, with Sharon promising to pick up Emily later in the morning after she woke up. She didn't want to argue too much anyway because all she wanted was for her kids to enjoy each other. They were willingly spending time together, sharing Emily's apartment, so she consented to their weekend slumber party while she returned to the hotel.

Saturday morning, she woke up early, very early and decided to forgo the breakfast area because again, she had no idea IF Andy was even here. She could be paranoid for no reason, but she wasn't willing to chance it. Besides, she wasn't even that hungry, sure that her nerves had killed her appetite. So, she took her tea, her huge floppy hat, and she decided to sit by the pool before it got too hot. It was October in Arizona, but that only meant the high lingered around 100 still; it was plenty warm and would be for a few more weeks. She cursed the school for not having this program in December when the weather was quite enjoyable.

She'd almost dozed off because again, she hadn't slept well, worried about the whole trip, when a shadow blocked her sunlight. She cracked open an eye to find the one in the same, Andy, standing above her. He sat in the lounge chair next to her.

"You're here," she said, with a sharp gasp as she sat up and turned her feet to the side of the chair, now sitting facing him.

"Yeah, I, well," he sighed, "I wanted to apologize for last weekend. We were umm, well, having some fun," he offered a flirty smile, "and were interrupted. I hated you having to run like that."

She nodded, "Well, it's fine, really," she waved him off. He shook his head.

"It's not. I have felt badly all week. That's not how I like to ahh, end things."

"We could try again?" she suggested, covering her mouth once again. What was wrong with her? Her mouth was just spilling out propositions like she was a salesman spilling out sales pitches."I'm sorry," she blushed and ducked her head so that her eyes couldn't meet his. She was silently thanking herself for the floppy hat.

He chuckled a quiet chuckle, using a hand to bend back her floppy hat, as his gaze met hers. He winked at her. "Nate's still asleep in my room." Sharon's eyebrows rose; he hadn't said no; he'd just offered up a reasonable problem. "His business thing starts at 10. I'm not sure what Ricky's schedule is, but Nate goes from 10-6 tonight."

"Ahh," Sharon nodded. "Ricky is slightly different. The computer component goes from 8-4."

"Well," he sighed, knowing it was still just 7:00, so the boys were at the root of their problem.

"Ricky's not here," she instantly replied. Andy's gaze perked up, and he smiled at her.

"Where to?" he asked, helping up Sharon from her chair. She smiled brightly at him as the two made their way to the elevator. They had to behave themselves in the elevator this time. There were others riding with them. That didn't stop Andy from standing behind Sharon and leaning in to kiss her neck as they stopped on one floor to let some of the guests off. She reached back and found his hand, squeezing it, and when they reached her floor, she guided him to her room.

"Again, I don't have a lot of time. I left Nate a note to get breakfast, that I'd meet him there, but that could be any minute," he explained.

"Okay," Sharon said breathlessly, "I can handle that." The two smiled at each other, pulling each in for a lingering kiss.

"Mom?" the two heard a bit later. They'd gotten further along than they had last time, but still, they were right in the middle of things when Sharon gave Andy a panicked look. Thankfully, her room again had a separate living area, one of the things she loved about this hotel chain, and thankfully, she and Andy had shut the bedroom door when they had arrived in the room.

Sharon cupped her hand over Andy's mouth, "That's my daughter!" she hissed. Andy's panicked eyes indicated he realized the level of the problem. She moved out from him, jumping up, while Andy tried to sit up as well. "Stay here," she hissed again, as she looked around and found her robe. There were clothes everywhere, again, not Sharon's style at all, but Andy had a way about him that she threw out any of her normal habits. She closed her eyes after she located her robe, offering a silent prayer that she had packed it. She'd really only packed it because she often got cold. She looked to Andy, one of those looks that could kill, and thankfully, he understood and remained silent while she moved out into the other room.

"Emily," Sharon smiled at the sight of her daughter. "I didn't expect you."

"Mom, are you okay?" Emily asked. "You look terrible, all flushed, and your hair is a mess. Are you feeling well?"

Sharon waved her off, "I wasn't feeling well this morning, and I've stayed in bed later than normal. I was just about to get up and get a shower. I thought I was picking you up later?"

"Well, Ricky isn't exactly quiet in the morning, and I woke up early, so I dropped him off and came here to surprise you. I thought we could get breakfast together downstairs."

Sharon nodded, "I think some food would help. Would you mind waiting downstairs while I try to get ready? I promise I'll be fast."

"Oh, sure, Mom," Emily said with a questioning glance. "You sure you're okay? I'm worried about you. You could be coming down with something after all that traveling."

"I'll be fine," she waved to her, turning to go back into the other room. "I'll see you in a bit."

Emily nodded and left the room, Sharon wanting to scream at Ricky for giving Emily his room card. She couldn't do that because it would be an admission of the third royally stupid thing she'd done on college road trips. Spring break gone bad, yeah right-now, it was just college mom on the prowl, like a cougar. She groaned thinking of that, at least thankful neither college Ricky liked had a cougar as a mascot. Yes, she knew a cougar referred to older women on the prowl for younger men, but still, that's how she felt with Andy.

She opened the door to find him fully dressed. "I'm so sorry," she sighed. He just nodded.

"It's okay, but really, Sharon, we probably need to stop this," he explained.

She nodded, "I know. After each time, I've cursed myself for days for letting it happen. I'm sorry. I feel like I've taken advantage of you."

"Hardly," he started to laugh. "I was a willing participant, but this can't be anymore. Look, nothing has been said or done yet, but I'm really trying to get back together with my ex-wife. We've been divorced for years now, and I miss my family. Out of the blue, she asked if we could get together next week, and I'm hopeful. I don't want to lead you on, and well this," he waved to the room. "This was fun the few times we ran into each other, but I really want to see if I can get back on track with my family."

Sharon nodded, "Fair enough," she closed her eyes and exhaled. She closed her robe a bit tighter. "I should thank you." He looked at her with an odd expression, and she continued, "Being with you-it's helped me move on from my ex-husband, not that there is any love loss there. Hardly," she huffed. "I just didn't know if I could put myself back out there. The idea of dating and well," she gestured, "this," terrified me. You helped conquer some of that, so thanks."

"Of course," he smiled and nodded. "I do get that. I should go."

"Yes," Sharon said now a bit of panic setting in. "My daughter will be waiting. I really need to meet up with her before she tries to take me to the emergency room or something," she chuckled.

Andy chuckled too, leaning in and kissing her cheek, "Bye, Sharon. I enjoyed our times together."

Andy left, leaving Sharon at the door once again. She closed her eyes, a bit of sadness there now, knowing she wouldn't see Andy again, not like this. It was only then, that she realized for the third time, she still didn't know his last name.


	7. Chapter 7

The fall passed by quickly. Both Ricky and Sharon were busy, Ricky with school and all of the different "senior" type things that went with it-Homecoming, school clubs, and more dating. Sharon was very busy with work, which is why at Thanksgiving it saddened her she wouldn't see both her kids. Emily was very busy at school, her final dance performance for the semester coming up. As hard as it had been, Sharon told her to stay at school; Sharon had to work anyway, and Ricky had been begging to spend the time with his good friend's family down at their beach house in San Diego. So, that left Sharon alone for Thanksgiving weekend and how she soon found herself on the phone with her mom, the one person she felt she could call right now.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Sharon," her mom said, the warmth of her mom's voice almost felt through the phone. "How was work?"

"Work was work," Sharon sighed as she sunk down onto her couch. "I'm glad to be home after a 24-hour shift."

"Well, I guess with you in charge now, that's to be expected some, isn't it?" her mom asked.

"Yes," Sharon nodded, not that her mom could see it. "The perks of being the captain, I guess if there are any. You'd think officers could keep out of trouble on Thanksgiving, but no, not all can."

"You sound really tired," her mom said. "Your dad and I have an excuse. What's yours? Work that bad, huh?"

"No, Mom," Sharon said, tearing up. "That's why I called."

"Oh, Sharon, what's wrong? Don't tell me Jack is back in town," her mom groaned.

Sharon managed a chuckle, "No, thankfully not. It's a different kind of mess," she said again, her voice cracking as she wiped away a tear. Her mom could hear her take a deep breath.

"Sharon, what's wrong? We've always been close. I know you don't have a lot of women there to talk to, so tell me," her mom prodded.

"Mom, I'm pregnant," Sharon said quickly and let out a breath that she had probably been holding for the last 48 hours since she'd had the news confirmed by her doctor.

"Pregnant! What? Sharon, how in the world?" her mom asked.

Sharon groaned, "Well, I think you know how. It's a very long story. It's a man I saw a few times. That's it. Mom, it's so embarrassing," she finally broke down and spent the next 10 minutes telling her mom the whole story, the story of the one other man she'd ever slept with, had gotten her pregnant. She was going to have a third kid, three kids of hers, two different fathers, the two men she'd ever slept with. Such was her life. She'd divorced one for abandoning them after he paraded women and alcohol in and out of Sharon's life, to fall into bed with another man, a man she didn't even know his last name, and here she was, pregnant with this baby.

"Oh, Sharon," her mom sighed.

"I know you are extremely disappointed in me. Believe me, I'm disappointed in myself, in the example I've now failed to set for my own kids. I'm going to be a single, divorced mom, raising a child out of wedlock, yet claiming to be a good Catholic. What's ironic is that I was on birth control, another no-no of the church, and it failed me. Somehow, this just seems ironic on so many levels."

"Well, Sharon, it's a shock yes, but you are always our daughter, and we'll always love you. Yes, it's not what we would have wanted for you, but believe me, we aren't going to turn our back on you or our grandchildren, all three of them. Sharon, we'll be there for you."

Sharon finally hung up with her mom, and she clutched the pillow over her chest as she sat back against her couch. She still had a few tears running down her face as the week's events replayed themselves in her mind. She was extremely grateful this Thanksgiving her kids weren't here, which too, was very unlike her, but she had another pressing matter to deal with, the apparent and unexpected arrival of what was going to be another child of hers.

 _Sharon had gone in for her yearly physical a week before, no major issues at hand. These were routine, and except for complaining of being tired, she didn't have any issues to note. She'd even laughed at the tired comment she'd made, also explaining she'd recently been promoted to Captain and had taken over her division, Internal Affairs of the LAPD. She'd worked there a very long time, rising through the ranks. It had been a good, safe job, except that it left her alone most of the time. She investigated cases alone, worked alone, and was always left alone. Internal Affairs, it was a tough job, but yes, relatively safe for a single parent raising two kids. She didn't have friends. Who would be friends with anyone in her division? Outside of work, men were scared off by her. She was intimidating as a police captain, something that always seemed to come out on a first or second date. That's partly why what she'd had with Andy had been exciting. He knew nothing about her, not that he hadn't asked about her job casually to start, but he didn't feel intimidated by her. Women weren't really in her circles. At work, she had mostly men in her division, and outside of that, she just didn't have much of a social life. She kept up with a few of the moms from Emily and Ricky's class, but even that, as the kids were getting older, well, people were moving on into different phases of their lives. That's how she came to be so close with her own mom, and when she received the official news 48 hours ago, she first had to get over the shock, and then she had to call her mom. As she sat there thinking about that now, cursed physical, she remembered the conversation with her longtime internal medicine doctor._

 _"Sharon, I called you back in here because we drew blood to run a panel and make sure you aren't anemic or anything like that. Well, it appears you are pregnant."_

 _"I'm what?" Sharon said, the color draining from her face, her hand instantly going to her stomach._

 _"That can't be right," she shook her head, tears already forming. "It can't be."_

 _"Well, have you," he nodded to her. He didn't need to finish his sentence because she nodded._

 _"Yes, but it was back in September/October timeframe," she explained._

 _He nodded, "Which, that would be about right then."_

 _"I was on birth control!" she exclaimed, that realization hitting her._

 _"Yes, I see that in the notes. That was one question, if you were taking it, but your last visit was also mid-September when you were here with an ear infection. I vaguely remember it, you wondering if it was from the pool. It ended up getting nasty, and we needed to treat it with an antibiotic."_

 _"Which can make birth control ineffective-I knew that, and I didn't even remotely think of it," she hung her head, her hands covering her face, completely mortified she was now going through all this. "I didn't even think about it," she said again, as she held back a sob. "There's been no one since my husband, and well," she started to cry, "this is unbelievable."_

 _He nodded, "I know it's probably a shock. Your age is a factor, yes. I'm sure you thought maybe things were just heading toward menopause."_

 _She looked up, "I've been so busy with work, my new job, I didn't even realize. I've been tired, but nothing else. I was pretty sick with my other two."_

 _"Well, each baby is different, and what I know of you, you power through anything, so you're going to need to slow down and take care of yourself, better care of yourself. Now, I've got an ultrasound here to get the exact weeks figured and all, so let's get started."_

 _It took another hour, ultrasound, tests, a flood of information, and finally more appointments, but Sharon left the doctor's office with her stamped physical, but ready to curse herself for the waiver on it, at least a wavier that would hold for the next nine or so months. Actually, that was less. The doctor dated her right at nine weeks, cautiously optimistic things would continue to go well._

 _"You're not out of the woods yet, still the first trimester and all," he told her, "but, we did get a heartbeat, and that's always a good sign."_

 _She was speechless at the tiny being on the screen, the heartbeat going strong. She touched the screen, still unable to talk, but nodded when he asked if she would like a few pictures. He continued to explain her risks, going through the various testing options due to her age, cautioning her that while she'd already done this twice before, one had been 20 years ago and the other 17. She was older, and her body knew it too._

Sharon continued to sit on the couch, her eyes closed as she rested. It was late, and it was quiet. She opened her eyes and removed her pillow, looking down at her still relatively flat stomach. It amazed her that soon, probably very soon, her stomach wouldn't be able to hide her indiscretion any longer. It killed her she had to explain this to her kids. It was easier to talk to her mom, as odd as that was. Her mom was her mom, and she was supposed to be the mom to her kids, the example. She cringed at the idea of explaining this, this huge lapse in judgement to her kids. Above all, she was not going to call this baby a mistake. She didn't believe a baby could be a mistake, even if it wasn't planned and coming into her life at the right time. This baby was hers, and hers alone. It had to be; she didn't even know Andy's last name to contact him, not that she wanted to contact him, not now if he was back together with his ex-wife. That somehow could make it even worse. Sharon popping in, looking like some homewrecker, pregnant with a man's child, a man who at the time, was single, but could very much be involved with his wife again. That would be another whole embarrassment. She'd tell her kids she had been involved, but not with whom or any of the details as to where things had happened. Ricky didn't need to think about that image. There was something to be said about her own kids not knowing the guy's identity. The birth certificate she was sure would be depressing too. She knew the father, sort of, and she wouldn't have a problem listing him, but she didn't even have a full name. Yes, her indiscretion was coming back to haunt her, now for the rest of her life.

Sharon spent the rest of the weekend resting up. She'd finished her 48 hour on call cycle, and after that, she had some free time on Saturday and Sunday. Ricky was coming home Sunday around dinner, so she still had some time to relax, and quite frankly, she needed it. Now that she was keenly aware of a tiny human growing inside, she realized just how tired and exhausted she was all the time. She wanted to kick herself for not realizing the exhaustion sooner. It was hard to miss, but she'd been working that hard at work, chalking it up to the new job.

The job, that was another issue. She would have to tell her boss about her needed maternity leave. She was due toward the end of June, not exactly sure if this baby was a result of her idiotic behavior at Stanford or at Arizona State, not that it mattered either way, but still. Speaking of the colleges, Ricky had decided on Stanford and heard back from them just last week. Sharon was happy for her son, glad he didn't let Stanford being Jack's college get in the way of what he wanted. Sharon was trying to remind herself that now, the same idea. She didn't want to let her horrible behavior to get in the way of a new baby. Yes, it was almost traumatic to think of the changes in her life she was going to have now, but deep down, she loved children and would welcome this one with love.

After she'd gotten over the shock that she was adding another child to her family, Sharon thought it through and decided she would tell the kids at Christmas. Finals were coming up for both, and she didn't want them stressing over their finals worrying about her. Besides, she would then be around 13 weeks, just out of the first trimester, and the heeded caution from her doctor still lingered in her mind. She'd tell them then, not that she'd be able to hide it much longer, but Christmas, she would break the news that they would add another Raydor to the house.

Raydor. That sounded odd, but Sharon had come to grips with it being her name too. Yes, she'd gotten it from Jack, but she shared it with her kids, the family she'd raised, alone, without Jack. This baby would be a Raydor, quite simply once again; she had no other last name to use, not that if she even knew Andy this would be a walk in the park. She'd thought it through and decided one good thing was this baby was hers alone, no shared custody, no fighting, nothing. She'd seen enough of that in the police force. She didn't need domestic issues surrounding her baby. This baby would be loved, by her, by his or her siblings, by Sharon's parents, and that would be enough.

By the time Christmas arrived, Sharon had talked herself into a nervous wreck. She was almost sick at the idea of telling her kids, and her "bundle of joy" was starting to reveal him or herself. She'd popped and almost overnight. Pants no longer fit, and luckily, she was still able to hide the baby with dresses and blazers, her typical work attire. It also helped that Ricky, bless him, was oblivious to many things, including her changing appearance.

Things hit the fan when Emily arrived home for Christmas. They had saved decorating the tree for her arrival, even though it went against Sharon's sense of occasion to have the house decked out in early December. Quite frankly, it had been a nice relief, as she had been completely exhausted through early December. However, as Emily bounced in, finished with her fall semester, she was ready to celebrate.

"Well, now that I'm 21, I brought our favorite wine, Mom! Merry Christmas! Let's enjoy!" she had exclaimed shortly after she'd arrived from Phoenix.

"Guys, before that, let's sit down," Sharon had told them, glad that here, in the late evening, she was in her relaxed outfit of yoga pants and an oversized sweater. It would hide things that she was sure the kids would be glaring at in a matter of minutes."

"So, I'm just going to come out and say it," Sharon started after the kids had sat down on the couch. She'd taken perch in her orange chairs, only now realizing that the condo might be a mistake now that she was going to add another person to it. It already felt closed in with just Emily and Ricky home. "I'm pregnant," she let it out quickly, releasing her breath as she gauged the kids' reactions.

"Ahh, good one, Mom," Ricky grinned. "Christmas practical joke," he chuckled.

"Ricky, this isn't a joke," she shook her head, not anticipating this reaction.

"Wait, you're back together with Dad? Oh, Mom, that's not going to turn out well. Another kid? He's stuck you with another kid?" Emily had exclaimed.

"Wait, what? She's serious?" Ricky turned to his sister and then to his mom. When he faced Sharon, he saw the reaction meant she was serious.

"Kids," she started, waiting for them to meet her gaze, "I am serious, but I'm also serious when I say this baby isn't your dad's."

Both sets of eyes bulged out, the look of shock evident, "What?" Emily shrieked.

"Mom, some other guy? Who? No guy has been around here," Ricky said in a panicked state.

Sharon held up her hand to silence the kids, waiting for them to calm down. She wasn't upset; she realized this was a shock, but she needed to explain once they'd gotten over the initial impact.

"Sorry, Mom," Ricky instantly said. "I shouldn't have reacted that way."

"Kids, I'm not going to get into details. My adult life is mine alone. The father is not in the picture, someone I briefly new early in the fall. All you need to know is that you are getting a new sibling. I don't expect this to be easy for you, and I know it will completely uproot our family, but that's the way it is. I will still love you with my whole heart, now all three of you."

The kids sat there stunned as they listened. It was quiet, and then, Emily stood and hugged Sharon. She said nothing, but she hugged Sharon. Sharon started to cry with that.

"Mom," Emily said, loudly enough for both Sharon and Ricky to hear her, "We'll be here for you, for the baby. You did this all alone the first time around. You got things right with me, even though Ricky is another story," she smiled and both Ricky and Sharon laughed. Sharon wiped her tears as the laughter broke the tension. Emily continued, "Mom, this time, we'll be here too. It's our baby, all of ours."

* * *

 **So, I'll say it again. I really don't want to hear complaints or negative comments. Save it. Refer back to the rules in Chapter 2. Sharon loves rules, and so do I. You don't like the twist? LEAVE the story. A couple of people have been begging me to write a baby story, and yes, I know we have tons. We have tons of just about any storyline anymore, oh well. It's MY STORY. I try to come up with ideas based on stories people ask me to write. There are plenty of things I really don't enjoy reading, so guess what, I stop reading! Again, go back to my rules in Chapter 2. Those who are still with me, thanks for reading! Hope you are enjoying it. Things are far from over...**


	8. Chapter 8

"I'm so glad I'm not a first-time mom looking at all of these baby things! It's overwhelming, and I've done this before, twice!" Sharon exclaimed as she looked around the baby store, Ricky and Emily at her sides. It was now late March, spring break for Emily, and Sharon had her kids home, at least for a couple of days. Things were tight at the condo and about to get tighter, but Sharon had sat down the kids, in one of their many conversations, to discuss the living situation.

 _"Okay," she had told them over Christmas break, a couple of days after she'd dropped the bombshell about the baby. "I know it's tight at the condo with the two of you home, and it's only going to get worse when I add a baby to the household, but I don't want to move."_

 _"Mom, this is just too small. When you bought it a couple years ago after the divorce and Emily was off to school, it was doable for you and me, but I'm worried about that now. You're adding another kid, and it's a two-bedroom condo."_

 _"I can afford this. I bought this when your dad and I divorced, yes, but this is what I wanted. Simple, all mine-meaning your dad didn't have a say in it-and yes, it works for two people here. Ricky, you are going off to school soon, and that will leave the baby here with me. I think we can manage. I know I won't have bedrooms for you two when you come to visit, but as we all know, those visits are getting fewer and further between. When you are home next summer, I can even put the baby in my room for those months. I don't mind. I'm happy you two are growing up. What I would like to do is keep your bed, Ricky. You have a beautiful dresser with it, and I can use that for the baby. That way, there's still the bed in there. If you take your desk to school or Emily takes it, we can put a crib in there too. Not perfect, but a decent solution. I'll just get a crib to match the color of your bedroom set," she had explained._

 _"Mom, we just don't want you upset about a small place," Emily smiled. "We just want you to be happy."_

 _"I'll be happy with this setup. The mortgage is fine; I have a great view, and at the time, I said I would rather spend the money on your college tuitions, which I have done. Ricky yours will be all set too, and then, I'll have to worry about saving up for this baby too. I'm very content," she nodded._

With that discussion out of the way, the kids hadn't said more about the tight quarters at home. Emily bunked with Sharon when she visited or crashed on the couch. The topic had been dropped, but now that it was the end of March, and Sharon was now 27 weeks along, starting her third trimester, it was time to get ready for the baby. They had a very busy few weeks coming up. Emily was going to have her big final junior year production. Sharon and Ricky were traveling for that, even though both kids had tried to suggest Sharon not travel. She'd won that argument, even with a note from her doctor, that since she was going to be at 32 weeks, she was still okay to travel, but he'd also told her that was it for trips after that. Sharon was very much looking forward to that, knowing after it, she was pretty much on house arrest, not really, but that's how she felt. It must be her police training that had her thinking her travel restrictions felt like house arrest.

So, here they were at the end of March, all home for the weekend. Emily didn't have a full spring break off; she was still in rehearsal for her recital, but she did have a long weekend and had flown to LA. After picking her up, getting some lunch, they were now all at the baby store, ready to tackle the newest Raydor's needs.

"Okay, Mom, do you have that envelope ready?" Emily smiled at her mom as she turned to her. Ricky turned too, both smiling at Sharon.

"Of course, I do!" Sharon squealed. "I've been dying to find out, but I promise you I haven't looked yet." Sharon had an envelope with the baby's gender inside. When she and the kids had talked through everything at Christmas, they had all discussed wanting to know if it was a boy or a girl. Sharon had told them she would have some testing in January and could find out, but Ricky surprised her and came up with the idea of finding out together.

 _"You could see if we could all find out at the same time," Ricky offered._

 _"You mean, like video chat during the appointment?" Emily asked._

 _"I have no idea. Just an idea," Ricky said._

Then, Sharon ran with the idea, wanting to be with both her kids when they all found out. Emily had been right; this was THEIR baby, all together, and so, while it killed her, she'd had the baby's gender put into a sealed envelope. They had agreed to open it at the store so they'd know whether to buy for a girl or a boy.

"Well, open it!" Emily clapped her hands together, giddy with excitement. Sharon tore the envelope open; it was battered anyway. It had been in her purse now for almost two months, and she'd almost opened it on several occassions.

She took a deep breath and smiled, "It's a boy."

"Yes!" Ricky exclaimed.

"Oh, so we even out, two Raydor ladies and two Raydor men," Emily teased, glancing at her brother, "well, maybe one Raydor guy and one Ricky."

"Oh, yes, this is great, a little brother," Ricky smiled. "Man, the things I can teach him. I'll be old enough, I can be the cool brother, give him tips on dating and all."

"And, where would you be getting these tips?" Emily teased again. "You don't seem to know much about it yourself right now."

"Enough," Sharon chuckled as she smiled at her kids. "I just want a healthy baby, which so far, is going surprisingly well. A little boy," she smiled. "Well, let's look at the boy sections," she smiled, and the three made their way around the store to start planning for the littlest Raydor's arrival.

It was almost three hours later they emerged from the store, almost unable to move the shopping cart, they'd bought so much stuff.

"Geez, Mom, and you said you were trying to go minimal," Ricky chuckled as they arrived at the car and started to load it. "Go, sit, Mom," Ricky encouraged, and he and Emily began loading everything.

"Whoever put a juice bar in that store was genius," Emily said as she slurped on her straw. "I'm exhausted, and I'm not even carrying around a kid."

"Let's keep it that way for awhile, hmmm?" Sharon smirked at her. Ricky and Emily both started to laugh. Sharon continued, "Well, I am trying to limit what I buy, but babies need a lot of stuff. Luckily, I do remember how to do all this, but because this wasn't exactly in the cards, I don't have things saved at home. This is a great start. I made a few notes about bigger items I need, so I can just order those online, but your brother is going to need clothing, towels, bedding, a stroller, other gear, diapers, formula, bottles, all that. The crib is being delivered next week, and Ricky and I can figure it out."

"Formula?" Emily asked.

"Oh yeah," Sharon chuckled. "He'll be just fine. I can only do so much right now, and I you two turned out fine too. I didn't do well breastfeeding either of you, so I'm not going to stress about it. Diapers the same way. I'm not into going back to cloth. Had that for some of you, Emily, and it's just more work than I need now. I'll have to get back to work anyway. I've got the summer off for maternity leave. Once I get you to school, Ricky, I'll get back to work then the beginning of September."

"I feel badly just leaving you then, Mom. Little guy will be so little still," he told her. Emily snagged the keys and hopped in the driver's side, while Ricky hopped in the back. Sharon was in the passenger side, front seat.

"I'll be fine. He'll be good for daycare, and it will be nice. Daycare is just one floor from my office, and I hope to see him soon. I really would like to eventually get him moved to the church, but for right now, having him nearby, that will be perfect."

"Well, now that we know he's a boy, I can't wait to meet him," Emily grinned, pulling out into traffic. "You still aren't telling us names?" she turned to Sharon.

Sharon had a slight smile on her face, "No, I waited for the gender to share with you. The name, I'm picking. I picked both of yours, and I'm not stopping that tradition now either."

"Dad never helped?" Ricky asked.

Sharon turned with a roll of the eyes, "No. No input. With Emily, he said he was busy studying. As he's told you in his drunken stupors, he wasn't ready for kids yet, and he made that known. With you, he'd already started disappearing, so again, I picked the names. I'll gladly do it again," she said as she crossed her arms and sat back. She shifted when he began kicking her, and then she started rubbing circles on her stomach.

"It's just so odd to see you pregnant, Mom," Emily smiled at Sharon. "I mean, I've seen pregnant women before, but to see how your skin stretches like that."

"Hmm, not my favorite part," she shrugged, "but, all part of it."

"Well, I'm excited to see how much you'll change between now and when I fly home for Ricky's graduation. That's in two months, and you'll be right around what again?" she asked.

Sharon sighed, shaking her head, "36 weeks, yes, don't remind me that I'll be even bigger, much bigger," she groaned. "I'll be that mom at Ricky's graduation. I'm sure I'm already the talk of the parents."

"Don't' worry, Mom," Ricky grinned. "Everyone thinks Dad showed up again. No one thinks anything else."

"Hmm," she hummed again, nodding. "That's fine. Work thinks the same, and I'm just not discussing it. It's not like any of them have actually said anything to me, but I know. My division has done a good job of not spreading things around, but obviously, it's a big building. Some talk, but really, it's died down because like your class, Ricky, everyone assumes Jack is back. Many don't even know I'm divorced. I try to keep my personal life out of work, and sometimes, it's just not possible, especially when I now have a basketball growing larger and larger by the day," she chuckled.

"When are Grandma and Grandpa coming then?" Emily asked. "I'm sorry. I know we've talked about this, but I'm trying to get things squared away for the summer. I'm flying home to actually see if they let Ricky graduate. That will be a mistake the school will make," she grinned. Ricky kicked at her seat, and Sharon just shook her head at their banter. "I'm flying home when Baby Brother now," she grinned, "makes his appearance. Then, I'm flying home to take Ricky to orientation."

"I'm going too," Sharon nodded. "You don't need to come to that. I can take Ricky to orientation and to move in."

Both kids gave Sharon a glare that had her rolling her eyes, "What?"

"Mom, orientation is the second week of July. I picked the last session so that you could go because you were set on going. Otherwise, Em and I would have just driven up there together. Now, you plan to go to that with a couple week old baby and then back again with a six-week-old or so to move me in?" Ricky explained.

"Mom, please let us help. I can get time off for long weekends. I want to come home to help," Emily said.

"How about this," Sharon offered, "a deal-I can ride up to Stanford with Ricky for orientation. That isn't hard, just a long drive, but the baby should be fine. Infants sleep a lot, and yes, not ideal, but most college aged parents aren't starting over with a newborn. Once we get there, I can rest with the baby. I have done this before," she glared at the kids. "Emily, as much as it would be nice for you to go, you're coming home in May, sometime in June, so stay and work in July. We can handle orientation. Ricky will be thrilled to get so much driving in. Then, in August, yes, I will admit we could use your help for move in day. You're set in your apartment, so thankfully, I don't have to move both of you in with your baby brother tagging along, but we can all three go up, gosh, all four," she chuckled, "all four go up to move in Ricky. Your grandparents have already booked tickets to come the beginning of August, right before Ricky goes off to school. They wanted to come for Ricky's graduation too, but as you know, they are old, and two trips out here this summer, it's just too much for them. So, we agreed on after the baby is here. Ricky, we'll celebrate again with them. Now, the other thing-I already spoke to the priest, and of course, that was before today when I knew we were having a boy, but I'd like to have him baptized before you two go back to school and while your grandparents are visiting. Because your dad abandoned us, I'm in good standing with the church. That was all part of the annulment back when. So, we can get all that done, get everyone to college, get me back on my feet, back to work, and your brother to daycare. Deal?'

The kids glanced at each other, Ricky catching Emily's eye in the rear-view mirror, "Deal."

"So, Mom, would this be a good time to tell you I want to look at graduate schools?" Emily gave a playful, but serious smile.


	9. Chapter 9

**Short, I know, but Ricky needs to graduate :)**

* * *

The weeks dragged on. Sharon never remembered feeling this miserable, but she knew some of it had to do with her age. As odd as it was to say, it helped having a high school senior while she was pregnant. That wasn't something she could have ever predicted, but April passed by quickly, moving into May. Ricky took a friend of his, not really a girlfriend, but a longtime friend, to the prom. Sharon documented that with tons of photos, shaking her head that she'd have to do this again in another 17 years. She and Ricky attended award programs from school, and finally it was time for his graduation.

"You know your grandparents are sad they can't be here today," she smiled at him, as she smoothed out his gown. He was all ready, cap in hand and gown on. Emily was finishing her hair, and then Sharon was planning to get some family pictures. She'd now made it to 36 weeks, miserably uncomfortable, but very grateful that aside from some rising blood pressure the last couple of weeks, she'd had a smooth pregnancy.

"I know," he shrugged. "They called earlier when you were getting ready. Plus, they sent me a giant check," he grinned.

Sharon narrowed her gaze on him, "I certainly hope that $500 is going into your bank account, Richard."

"It is, Mom," he grinned. "I promise. I know you are going to be tight with two tuition bills and a new baby."

Sharon shook her head, "Nothing for you to worry about-I've told you that. I'll be fine.

A knock at the door had them all curious, and Emily, who was closest, now, went to answer it. "Dad?" she said with question. Sharon tensed up, grabbing Ricky's arm, as Ricky walked to the door. Sharon sighed and moved to the kitchen, knowing this wasn't going to go well.

"Ricky, my boy!" Jack exclaimed, barging past Emily. He threw his arms around Ricky and then turned back to Emily. "Oh, my beautiful, Emily. It's so good to see you both."

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Ricky asked.

"Well, you are graduating, right? I looked up your graduation information on that stupid school website of yours. Your mom, stuck on that school," Jack shook his head. "Anyway, surprise!" he grinned.

"Dad, you need a ticket for graduation. We have two. One for me and one for Mom," Emily crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"Where is your mother, anyway? I've heard some rumors about her," Jack looked around the condo.

"Hello, Jack," Sharon said calmly as she walked around from the kitchen. She was in a loose knit dress; it was hard to find anything decent in the maternity department, but she'd found this simple, navy dress that she had dressed up with some jewelry and modest heels. Her fit were starting to swell these days, but she wasn't going to wear anything else today, not for her son's graduation.

"Well, so the rumors are true," Jack shook his head, "I guess some of them. Rumor is you are pregnant with my kid, so I had to see for myself. I think I would have remembered that, Sharon."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded, "I certainly would have too. It would be a nightmare that would haunt me daily. Now, as for rumors," she shrugged, "I haven't heard any. As you can see, yes, I am having a baby, but that's none of your business."

"I believe it is!" he exclaimed. "This affects my kids too."

"You're right, Dad," Emily changed her stance. "It does. We, and I mean, Mom, Ricky, and I are having a baby. It affects us because we are getting a little brother. You are not part of this, not now, and quite frankly, you never have been."

"Jack, why are you here?" Sharon tilted her head, questioning Jack. "Now, don't try to convince me it's for Ricky's graduation ceremony. You hate those. You tried to skip your own college and law school ceremony and only attended because your parents made you for the first, and I begged you for the second. I know you didn't drive here from Vegas to sit through Ricky's graduation. You certainly didn't do it for Emily's."

"Well, like I said, I did want to say congratulations to Ricky," he smiled to him. Ricky just nodded, almost not acknowledging Jack. "I also had to see for myself," he gestured to Sharon, "and it's very, very obvious, Sharon you are with child. In fact, I'd say you are a couple weeks from not being with child. Due date soon?"

"Hmm, we'll see, Jack. Now, we need to get going. As Emily said, we have two tickets. Each family was given two tickets, and well, if you wanted more, you had to volunteer at the school. I didn't see you on any sign up sheets, so I guess you won't be attending."

"Oh, no," he waved, "as you remember, I don't do ceremonies. No, I just timed this with a trip here to meet my girlfriend's parents. They live in LA."

"Your girlfriend?" Ricky asked.

"How old is this girlfriend?" Emily inquired.

"Well, age is just a number," he chuckled, "right Sharon? You'd know that right now with your situation. Anyway, I need to get going. We're expected there for lunch, and I couldn't not stop in to wish you congrats my son!" he bellowed.

"Umm, thanks," Ricky nodded.

"Oh, and," Jack dug in his pocket, "here's $20 bucks for you to you know," he shrugged, slapping the money in Ricky's hand, "get a pizza or something when you go to college. Wait, you are going to college, aren't you?"

Sharon sighed loudly, rolling her eyes. She wasn't getting involved, and she knew Emily wouldn't either.

"Yeah, Dad, I am," Ricky nodded.

"Well, enjoy it," Jack waved, not even bothering to ask which college. Ricky had cringed when he'd filled out his Stanford application and had to put Jack's name on it under the alumni section. He hated having Jack be reason he got anything, and while he knew Jack wasn't why he got into Stanford, he was sure it had helped putting down his dad was a graduate.

"Ahh, Sharon," he said, causing Sharon to whip her head in his direction. She was fuming at Jack's drop in. "Good luck with the bundle. Didn't know you had it in you," he winked, as he smirked and waved again. "Bye my precious girl," he blew a kiss to Emily and then left.

"What just happened?" Emily frowned, turning to the others.

"Hurricane Jack, Category 5," Ricky mumbled. "Sorry he ruined everything."

"He didn't ruin anything," Sharon smiled, shaking it off. She couldn't admit that Jack had irritated her to no end. "Come on; we're going to have a good day and celebrate. My baby boy is graduating."

Ricky chuckled, looking at her stomach, "You just had to say that now before I'm just the middle child."

"Great," Emily rolled her eyes, "here we go-middle child syndrome already." The three chuckled, leaving the building for Ricky's big day.

They had a lot to celebrate. Ricky was graduating with honors and going off to study computers at Stanford. Sharon's baby boy had grown up and was moving on. Through all the college searching, he'd found the school right for him and even the major he wanted to study. She fought back tears, thinking that in another 18 years, she'd do this all over again, wondering just what life would look like in the future.


	10. Chapter 10

"So, only my mom could go into labor at work and deliver a baby before the workday is even over," Emily smiled as she entered the room. "Hi, Mom," she grinned. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Sweetheart," she smiled up to Emily. "Just to clarify, I didn't go into labor at work. Labor started at home around 4:00 AM. Ricky was just doing as I asked and let me stop by work to drop off paperwork."

"Where you worked for over an hour, Mom," Ricky rolled his eyes, looking up to Emily. "Glad you made it. I tried to talk her out of going by work. We left the house at 6:30, got to work by 7:00. I made her leave just after 8:00 when the rest of the LAPD was arriving. Hospital before 9:00, and well, Mom's always been efficient," he smirked.

"Can I point out that at least I didn't go into labor during your graduation ceremony last week, Ricky. Now, that would have been awful," Sharon sighed.

Emily grinned, "Ricky, she has a point. Well, that's quite the morning, although I thought she might labor a big longer so that I wouldn't miss the big event. Where's the little guy?" she asked looking around the room.

"Out for his checkup. They just took him down to the nursery again. They do that often, take out the baby, check things, run tests like hearing and such," she shrugged. "He'll be back soon. It's good to see you, but I certainly hope you didn't speed your way across the desert to get here."

"Hey, I left over six hours ago, so normal driving," she added. "So," she sat down on Sharon's bed, looking at her mom, "you named him Brady?"

Sharon took Emily's hands in hers, "He's my baby, so yes. I like that name. Thomas is his middle name for your grandfather."

"I'm sure Grandpa is happy about that," Ricky interjected. "Probably especially glad you didn't go with William like my middle name from dad," he chuckled. Emily started to chuckle again, and Sharon rolled her eyes.

"Look, this is why I didn't ask your opinion. There are three of us, and we would have come up with 10 different opinions on names," Sharon pointed her finger at them, "but, yes, Grandpa was very happy when I spoke to him earlier. It was all I could do to make them stay put and not hop on a flight. They sometimes forget they aren't as young anymore."

"Mom," Emily patted her hand to get Sharon's attention, "I like Brady. It's cute. Brady Thomas Raydor. Nice," she nodded. "You're not so young yourself, Mom," she grinned.

"Thank you-about the liking the name, not about reminding me of my age," Sharon smiled. "Well, I had a thing going with Emily and Ricky. I wanted him to fit with your names. Plus, it's an Irish name, and I liked it."

"So, he's a little early," Emily pointed out. "Is he okay?"

Sharon smiled again, thinking of her tiny bundle, "Yes, he's perfect. He's on the small side, 6 lbs. 2 oz., but he's just great. June 4 puts him right at 37 weeks, which is considered full term. Honestly, it's good I went into labor on my own. My doctor wasn't liking how my blood pressure was on the rise, and he'd said we'd monitor that this week and discuss alternatives if it was still high. I guess Brady just knew it was time to join our family. Plus, he knew we had a very busy summer ahead and maybe his early arrival will foreshadow future behavior. Maybe he'll always be early for things," she quirked a glance to Ricky.

"Hey! You're trying to link that I'm late everywhere because I was late being born? That's not cool, Mom," Ricky frowned. Emily and Sharon chuckled.

"Well, if the shoe fits, Ricky," Emily nodded. Before anything else could be said, the nurse returned with Brady. Emily popped up since she hadn't seen him yet. The nurse wheeled him in and turned to Sharon.

"He looks great. Everything is checking out well," she nodded. "Do you need anything?"

"No," Sharon nodded. "I would like to shower soon though if that is possible?" she asked.

"Of course," the nurse smiled. "Everything during delivery went very smoothly for you. Just make sure one of them is at least here in the room when you shower. They don't have to help in the bathroom, but have someone nearby. If you'd rather have a nurse, let us know, and we can help you."

"Thank you," Sharon smiled. "Now that they've seen their brother, I don't know if I'll be able to pry them away anytime soon."

The nurse smiled and nodded to them as she left the room. Emily looked to Sharon, who nodded to her, and then Emily gingerly picked up Brady. Ricky jumped up from his seat so Emily could sit with the baby.

"Oh, he's so sweet," she squealed. "I want one."

Sharon raised her eyebrows at Emily, "Enjoy him all you want. No need for one yourself right now. You've got plenty of time."

"As Mom has proven," Ricky flashed a grin. The two ladies groaned. Emily unwrapped Brady's blanket to check him out. "Oh, look at his little feet!" She bundled him back up and pulled off his little hospital hat, "Oh, he's bald; I love it!" She turned to Ricky, "So, good job getting her here to the hospital, even if you detoured to work. I mean, really, who goes to work when they are in labor?"

"Mom! Have you met her? She's a bit demanding," Ricky pointed out. "I woke up at 6:00 because I heard her in the living room."

"Yes," Sharon smiled, "I had been up since about 4:00. I wasn't feeling right, and I was having contractions, but they were still far apart. I could tell it was probably the day, but I figured I had plenty of time. Look, I'm in charge, and I had all this paperwork that couldn't wait. So, we stopped by my office on the way to the hospital. It wasn't a big deal. I called my lieutenant, who knew this was coming sooner or later, and he's all set. I left everything for him. Now, I'm off until September 1st, my own summer break," she chuckled.

"So, this isn't going to change your schedule with work?" Emily asked.

"No," Sharon explained. "I was going to stop working at the end of this week, so really, it's only a few days. They can figure out how to charge my leave, whether they call it maternity, family leave, sick leave. HR said I had so many days banked, it's almost alarming, but that's good. I'm sure as Brady gets bigger and into daycare, he'll get colds, fevers, and all that stuff."

"Ahh, I hate to think of this little guy ever getting sick," Emily frowned as she looked at the sleeping baby in her arms. "So, how long are you here?"

"Well, they like to keep moms and babies for 24 hours. Since he was born at 11:45, we should be able to go home tomorrow after lunch, assuming everything checks out," Sharon explained.

"Speaking of lunch, I haven't eaten anything let," Ricky said, glancing at his watch. "It's now almost 2:30, and I'm starving," he grinned.

"Well, I'm glad to hear you didn't go find breakfast while Mom was laboring, Ricky," Emily grinned.

"Yeah, she told me I could stay in the room, which I did up until the actual delivery," he explained. "Mom, I love you and all, but," he shuddered.

Sharon patted his arm, "Ricky, that was fine. We had talked about that before. I appreciated you hanging out with me for the couple hours while I was laboring. Lucky for us, Brady didn't give me a hard time. Now, I am just starting to realize just how hungry I am too. I could definitely eat, something simple, maybe soup," she told him. Ricky nodded, and he stood. Sharon continued, "Get my purse. I have cash in in for lunch. Get something for all of us," she explained. Ricky flashed a goofy grin, and Sharon realized what he was grinning about, "Fine, get something for your sister and me. Your brother doesn't need anything from the deli," she rolled her eyes.

"It's going to be a bit odd, Mom. For so long, it's been the three of us. Now, with Brady, our little family is four," Emily pointed out.

"I'm seriously outnumbered," Sharon shook her head in jest. Ricky grabbed the money and waved as he left the room. Emily stood with Brady and walked over to sit with Sharon.

"So, he's pretty cute," Emily smiled down at her brother still in her arms. "Does he look like Ricky or me? I just see small baby," she grinned.

Sharon ran her hand down his face, "Yes," she nodded. "I see plenty of both you and Ricky in him."

"I can't believe he's sleeping so well," Emily commented.

"Hmm," Sharon sighed, "it won't last. He'll do this for a couple of days, baby coma, I joke, but eventually he'll wake up and become a screaming infant. Hopefully, it's not too bad."

Emily nodded, "Well, while he's still this good, do you want to get your shower? I'll sit here with him."

"Yes," Sharon nodded. "I would like to rejoin the land of the living, and right now, a shower seems to be the way to that. I feel disgusting," she shuddered.

Emily chuckled, "I can imagine. What's this?" she looked at the folder on Sharon's tray table. "Mom, tell me you didn't bring work here," she gestured to the folder.

"No, I didn't," she opened it to show Emily. "Paperwork for the hospital, well, really for Brady. Birth certificate and all."

"Oh," Emily's eyebrows rose as she glanced at it, "So, you're just listing yourself, no father?" she asked.

Sharon let out a long sigh and schooled her sad expression quickly, "Yes, just me."

"Mom, Emily shook her head, "I'm an adult. You can talk to me about it."

Sharon patted her hand, "Thank you. Your grandmother knows the whole story, so I have spoken to someone. You don't need that."

Emily's eyebrows rose again, "Oh, well, okay, at least you spoke to someone. Wait, did she know Brady's name?" she narrowed in on Sharon.

Sharon let out a chuckle and a playful shrug, "Perhaps," she teased. She nodded, "Alright, I told her last week in case something happened to me. I wanted someone to know my plans for Brady, but," she stopped to get Emily's attention, "we are fine, both of us."

Emily nodded, smiling at the baby sounds Brady was making, "Well, I hope you know if anything ever happens to you, I'll take care of him, Ricky too, I guess," she winked to her mom. Sharon patted her hand, almost tearing up.

"Thank you, Sweetheart," Sharon nodded to Emily. "Hopefully, we are all together for a very long time. Now, before Ricky gets back, let me get that shower. We can talk about everything for the summer now that Brady is here. His arrival a few weeks early will make all of our summer college travels a bit easier."


	11. Chapter 11

The baby coma, as Sharon had joked with Emily, lasted about four days, but then Brady started to make himself known in the Raydor household, or maybe he just transferred his comatose state to Sharon because she was exhausted. The days seemed to blur together, even into weeks, and soon, it was early July. Brady, now weighing in at eight pounds and still no hair, was already a month old and about to embark on his first road trip.

"Mom, we aren't going to have enough room in the car for all this," Ricky chuckled as he stared at the growing pile by the door. Sharon looked up from where she had been stacking things and pursed her lips. Ricky continued, "I mean, think about it. Brady himself takes up a good chunk of your backseat. Put in your nice designer diaper bag you had to have," he flashed a smile at Sharon who rolled her eyes at him, "put in a couple of suitcases, and we don't have a ton of room. Plus, add the small cooler, that bouncy seat thing, his stroller," Ricky trailed off looking around.

"Yes, I know!" Sharon exclaimed, looking around herself. "It is a lot. I realize that. I just want this trip to go smoothly."

"We're only going to be gone five days," Ricky told her. Sharon flashed him her own fake smile.

"I'm aware. I do realize that I may have overpacked," she acknowledged. "However, I'd rather overpack than to under pack."

"What are you going to do when you take me up there to move in?" Ricky smiled at his mom, her eyes widening as she was just now being hit with that idea.

"I don't know," she shook her head. "I hadn't thought of that yet, and since you can't bring a car your freshman year, ahh, well, I'll have to think about that."

"We could always rent something bigger just to take me to school. I mean, I was joking about this trip for orientation, but seriously, we aren't going to be able to get in all my stuff, your stuff, Brady's stuff, and then Emily-don't forget Emily's going then-to move me in," he explained.

"You're right," Sharon nodded. "Let me think about that. Good point, and we still have just over a month to figure that out, but yes, renting something larger for the trip might be the best."

Brady's cry alerted Sharon he was awake, and she nodded to Ricky, "Let me go take care of him. He's going to need to be changed and fed."

"That's fine. I'll start loading up the car," Ricky explained. They were going to get on the road this morning to head to orientation at Stanford. It was just after 8:00, and Ricky and Sharon were trying to get everything organized before they got on the road. Sharon had already been up for hours. Brady had already been up just after 5:00 that morning. She'd fed him, changed him, and rocked him before he went back to sleep. He was sleeping in decent three-hour increments, almost like clockwork. While he was going to be in Ricky's room with Ricky at school, right now, Sharon had him in a small bassinet in her room for the summer. It was working fine, except that Sharon was barely sleeping. Any movement Brady made woke her, and her age was starting to catch up with her. She was managing fine, but it wasn't as easy to function on sleep in a couple hour intervals as it had been 20 years ago. Brady was a relatively good baby, and he was already sleeping in a somewhat predictable manner, as much as one-month old infants could, but he could certainly be a loud one.

It was over an hour and a half later when they finally got on the road, Ricky taking the first driving shift. Sharon had argued with him about that, but he'd won, explaining that he knew she needed to rest a bit. She'd let Ricky drive, partly because she didn't have the energy to navigate LA traffic. The trip north took a lot longer than usual, but they made it finally by evening. They had to stop on several occasions to feed and change Brady. Ricky used each opportunity to get more food.

"I don't know how you are hungry again," Sharon chuckled during one of their stops as he walked out of the rest area gas station, armed with drinks and a hot pretzel. "You know we have drinks in the car."

He shrugged, "Yeah, but I like a lot of ice, and I got you a coffee," he offered to her.

"Thank you, Sweetheart. Man, I'm going to miss you when I drop you off next month," she told Ricky as she finished buckling Brady back into his car seat. Ricky, this time, flopped himself down in the passenger seat and glanced back to his mom. Brady's car seat was directly behind the driver seat, so he had a good view now of Brady and of Sharon buckling him in. Brady was making sweet baby sounds, and both Sharon and Ricky's gaze met where they both smiled.

"Well," Ricky told Sharon, "don't tell anyone, but I'm kind of going to miss you too, the squirt there too. It's crazy that I'm going to now miss so much of him growing up. I mean, right now, I get Brady either completely zonked out or awake and crying. By the time I see him for the holidays, he'll be doing more stuff."

Sharon smiled at him, as she tucked the little blanket cover on Brady's feet and then kissed his head, "Well, yes, it's going to be odd. He'll be rolling over, maybe sitting up some, but think of next summer when you are home. You'll get to see him walking."

"Wow," Ricky's eyes grew huge. "Crazy to think that he'll be doing all that next summer."

Sharon got situated in the driver's seat and nodded, "Babies change quickly, yes, but in ways you do too. It's crazy to think that next summer you will have a full year of college in and might have even more direction to your career plans. Yes, I know you are planning on majoring in computer science, but even that is broad. I'm sure you'll have all sorts of dreams and aspirations, more than you have now. Before we get back on the road, are you all set, or did you need to buy more food? We have that too," she nodded to the bag of snack in the backseat by Brady.

"I'm good," he grinned. "Those snacks are mainly for the hotel."

By dinnertime, they had arrived at their hotel, the same hotel they always used. Sharon figured over the next four years she would be using this hotel a lot, and she gave a soft sigh, as she looked at it. This is where she'd slept with Andy last fall, well one of the places since they'd also been in Phoenix, and while she tried not to think of him often, she was right now. Yes, Brady was a constant reminder of the mystery of Andy, but she had tried to block that out. Now, here at the hotel, she reminisced a little, thinking about what had been-well, she still could only explain it as "Girl Gone Wild," but as she looked over at sweet Brady sleeping away in his car seat, snapped on the stroller, and she smiled. She might have gone a bit crazy when she'd met Andy on those different occasions, but now, she wouldn't change it; she had Brady.

"Mom?" she heard, and she spun around, maybe silently hoping Ricky had news he'd run into Andy and Nate. She tried not to show her disappointment when she noticed he was alone. Ricky was in from the car. He'd dropped Sharon and Brady off at the front door with a load of stuff, parked the car, and he was back now, armed with more luggage. "Ready to go to the room? Man, I can't wait for that breakfast buffet. This hotel is the best."

Sharon chuckled at that, nodding to Ricky about heading to the room. It was going to be an interesting three days of orientation getting Ricky all set for school. In the back of her mind, Sharon wondered what ever had happened to Andy. She didn't know him well-who was she kidding-she didn't know his last name-but she'd had some very fond memories with him here at Stanford. Sharon wondered what school Nate had picked and if she'd ever see Andy again. She looked to Brady, a new panic sitting in with her thoughts about Andy. IF she ever saw Andy again, she'd have to tell him about Brady, and yet, that could cause a lot of problems with his wife, if he had gotten back together with her. Sharon didn't want to be some other woman, even though the situation was a bit odd, but for now, she'd file that away and cross that bridge if she ever came to it. She also didn't want to hide Brady; she just wasn't sure what she would do if she ever saw Andy again.

"You feeling okay, Mom?" Ricky asked her a few days later as they were on their way back to LA. Orientation had gone very well; Ricky was now all registered for his fall classes and very excited to return to the campus in just over a month. They'd taken a more in-depth tour of the campus; they had attended sessions about selecting meal plans, purchasing textbooks, and even an expo with different university clubs that students could join. He'd gotten his dorm assignment and roommate information. The bonus had been he'd even met his roommate at orientation. That had been by chance; they had been randomly paired up, and when Ricky called the guy, Chris, both happened to be attending the same orientation session. So, Sharon, Ricky, and Brady had met Chris and his parents for lunch on their final day of orientation. He seemed like a nice guy, although not into sports at all, and while they were coming from LA, he was coming from further north in California. He was very interested in history, but Sharon felt like the two would hit it off okay, at least for the year. Ricky was a pretty laid-back guy, and from living with him his whole life, she felt like he'd be a pretty good roommate. He wasn't up super late, he didn't smoke, and he was somewhat neat and tidy even with the rumpled clothing and crazy haircuts.

Sharon had been quiet in the car for awhile now, thinking about orientation and about Andy. They had not seen Andy at orientation, not that Sharon was surprised by that. She didn't even know what school Nate had selected.

Sharon snapped out of her orientation phase and glanced to Ricky who was driving again, "Yes, I'm fine." She turned slightly to the backseat and found Brady sleeping. She smiled at him and refocused on Ricky. "I was just thinking about orientation. Chris seemed fine, and I hope you two will be decent roommates."

"Yeah," Ricky nodded, "he was pretty chill. I get the impression he reads a lot, so that's cool. He said he wanted to learn more about computers, so I can teach him that. Maybe we'll get along fine. At least he's not, well I don't know what I expected, but he's not that bad."

"So, we need to do some shopping for you. You're going to have to go through your clothes to figure out what you are packing. You'll need a few warmer things because the climate is different, so I know you're so disappointed to hear you might need a coat and some hoodies, LA boy," she teased. Ricky chuckled.

"I thought about that too. I don't have to get all the warm stuff now, though, do I?" he asked.

Sharon gave him a look, "Well, you will need it sooner than you think. We don't have to go crazy, but yes, you're going to need to do some shopping, as much as it pains you. You also need to get the extra-long dorm sheets, a comforter for that size bed, and a few things for your room, maybe a lamp. Now, you and Chris talked about the tv and such?"

"He's bringing a little refrigerator we can have in our room. I told him I'd bring the tv and DVD player," he glanced to Sharon. "I don't really want to use my computer monitor, so I was planning to buy a tv with some of that graduation money from Grandma and Grandpa. Now, I'd use the $20 Dad gave me, but he told me to use that for pizza," he flashed a grin, and both he and Sharon burst out laughing. They quickly looked back to make sure they hadn't started Brady, and then they continued to chuckle.

"Oh, your dad," Sharon groaned.

"Mom, really, thanks for everything. I wouldn't be starting at Stanford without you. I appreciate everything, all the trips, the advice, the encouragement, man even all the money. I know it's not cheap."

"It's not," Sharon smiled, "but you are worth it, all three of you," she smiled at him and back at Brady. "Your dad should be sad he's missing out on all this."

"Well," Ricky added, "at least Brady will have all of us. Just think, by the time he's ready for college, you can sit with your walker while Emily and I move him in," he grinned. Sharon groaned and as the two headed south to LA, they continued to laugh about the dynamics of their family.


	12. Chapter 12

Sharon looked around her living room and smiled. She loved her family, deeply, and right now, she was very content. Her parents were here to visit, Emily was home, Ricky was almost ready to head to college, and Brady was growing by leaps and bounds. It had been a good day, a very good few days. Brady had been baptized in church the day before, on Sunday, and the family had spent all of Monday with each other, something Sharon had wanted to happen before her kids went off to school. Her parents were leaving in the morning; they had now been here a week. She was sad to see them go on many levels, of course, the obvious, that they were leaving, but she was also sad because it meant that it was almost time for her college students to head to school for the semester.

"Sharon, did you hear us?" her mother asked. Sharon, who was perched on the side of her orange chairs, next to Emily who was seated in the chair, looked to her mom and smiled. It was no surprise that her mom was holding the youngest grandchild. Sharon knew he wouldn't be put down until her parents' flight left on Tuesday morning.

"I'm sorry; I dazed there. What did you ask, Mom?" Sharon smiled at her mom and Brady. He was awake and shaking his fists around in the air. Sharon's dad was making faces at him.

"I suggested you take Ricky and Emily out to dinner. With Brady here now, he tends to steal the show. You need a night with those two," she nodded. "We'll keep Brady here with us. You said he's been sleeping pretty well, and well, I think we can manage. He just had a bottle, and worst case, we'll make him another one."

"Oh, well, I'm not sure we need to go out, Mom. We can't just leave you and Dad here. You flew all the way out here. It's not right for us to up and leave," she explained. Truth be told, she hadn't left Brady with anyone yet. That was a bit unsettling to her; she knew it would happen in the near future, but as she thought of the idea of leaving him, even with her parents, she began to panic.

"Sharon," her dad patted her leg, "go to dinner. I am sure you haven't left him alone yet, and you are probably worrying yourself to death over it. If only the entire LAPD knew what a softie you really were," he chuckled. "Take your grown children to dinner and leave the peanut here with us. It's a Monday night, so even for LA, the restaurants shouldn't be that terribly busy. It's true we did fly all the way out here, but to be honest," he started to whisper, but loudly enough for everyone to hear, "we really came to see him. What kind of grandparents are we that we haven't even seen our grandson, and he's already two months old?" He winked to Sharon letting her know he was kidding, but serious about her leaving the baby and going out with the kids."

"Come on, Mom," Emily encouraged her. "It will be fun. I know that you haven't been out for awhile, and besides, if I'm home, we have to go to Barneys by the Beach."

"What's Barneys by the Beach? Sharon's mom asked, as she shifted Brady, putting him over her should so he could be upright.

"It's our favorite local place, Grandma," Ricky explained. "We haven't been there in forever, but when Em's home we love to go there."

"Then go," her dad encouraged, nudging them with his hands.

"Okay, we'll go," Sharon stood. She turned to her parents, "Are you sure you'll be okay with him? I can take him with us."

"Oh, for goodness sake, Sharon," her mom rolled her eyes, "go."

An hour later, the three of them found themselves at their favorite local restaurant. It was near the beach and very casual. With it being August, the temperature was still warm, and there were plenty of people still out on the beach, but the restaurant wasn't that busy. Sharon realized just how good it felt to get away from the house, even though tonight, it meant leaving Brady. She was having difficulty remembering her life before Brady, but she knew that she, Emily, and Ricky used to do this all the time. Still, now, it felt odd. She was very grateful to her parents for watching him so she could dote on her older children for the time being.

They were almost done eating their meal when Sharon's phone rang. She dove for it in her purse, sure that her parents must have an issue with Brady.

"It's work," she frowned, looking at the phone. She was still on maternity leave. She'd been out just over eight weeks now, and she still had a few to go before she started back to work September 1st. While she technically could have already started back to work, she'd purposely decided to go back to work after getting the kids situated at college. Besides that, she hated the idea of Brady, so tiny still, going to the daycare. Yes, people did it every day, but that didn't mean it killed her a little inside.

"Sergeant Staples?" Sharon answered her phone. The kids shrugged at each other and continued to finish their meal while Sharon got up to take the call. She mouthed a "Sorry" to the kids and moved toward the doors. She returned to the table a few minutes later, the kids wondering what was going on.

"I'm afraid I need to go into work tonight," she sighed, shaking her head.

"Mom, you're on maternity leave," Emily pointed out. Both kids looked to her for an explanation.

"That was one of my sergeants, and he's in a bit of a bind. You know my division isn't that big, and with me gone, they've been even more short staffed. There's normally four of us to be the lead investigators. I'm out right now, and my lieutenant apparently had a family emergency; his mother died a few days ago. He'll be back the day after tomorrow. Normally, leaving the other two would be fine, but it turns out that my other sergeant was coaching his kids' baseball practice tonight and broke his nose. He's dealing with that in the ER, and Sergeant Staples has a case tonight that needs to be handled. He's currently working one, and well, I understand the situation he's in."

"So, is this one of those 72-hour reporting cycle things again?" Ricky asked.

"Possibly," Sharon shrugged. "I'll have to see when I get there. I am sorry, but I can't let down my team, especially when I'm the boss. There's no reason I can't go into work tonight. I hate leaving Grandma and Grandpa at home, but I think you can all manage. Besides, it will give you some time with them before they leave tomorrow."

"Mom, we'll be fine," Emily nodded. "Promise. We can even drop you off at work. Worst case, we'll get them to the airport tomorrow. We've got this. Be glad you have all this help right now. You could have just been left with Ricky," she hooked her hand at him and made a face.

"Hey! I'm awesome with Brady!" he exclaimed.

"Children," Sharon smiled to them, getting their attention, "enough. Yes, I will take a ride to work. Thank goodness, I look somewhat decent for work. I guess they are going to have to take me in capris and a blouse."

"Mom, you look really nice. I get it; it's now your work suit, but for getting called in while on maternity leave, you look great."

It didn't take long for Ricky to drive Sharon to work. She bid the kids goodbye and went up to her office to get the report from Sergeant Staples.

"Evening, Sergeant," she smiled at him as she entered her division's office area. They had three desks in the main area with her enclosed office just off of that. They had others assigned to their division, but these were her main detectives responsible for the major casework.

"Evening, Captain, and I do apologize for calling you. I knew you would want to be informed, and well, it's just an odd circumstance tonight," he explained.

"No apology needed," she smiled. "I am glad you called. For once, I have a houseful of babysitters, so what is the case this evening?"

"Oh, well, first, congratulations again. I think we'll all be anxious to see pictures of the little guy. I'm sure he's changed quite a bit since we stopped by your condo after he was born."

"He has," Sharon chuckled as she smiled. The sergeant continued.

"Now, the case," he handed her a file. "Seems as if it involves a kids' after school program and two of our lieutenants. They'd gone down there to do some volunteering this evening, one of those joint partnerships the LAPD has with these different groups. Anyway, the guys were helping to unload a truck that was apparently supposed to be full of school supplies, new clothing, stuff like that, except that as they were unloading it, they fell into a series of unfortunate events. One, and this should have been the first clue something was off, the stuff was all in large black duffle bags, not boxes or anything like that. One of the duffle bags fell open, and thousands of dollars fell out. That was problem one. Two, if that didn't alarm them enough, they started digging through the van since they were already knee deep in it, looking to see what in the world they'd gotten involved with when they found a dead body buried under some sheets and stuff. Looks like there was some movement of large amounts of cash, most likely drug related, and someone killed one of the delivery guys. Best guess is someone was using the good deeds of the shelter to move money and drugs, not knowing some of our guys were going to be there volunteering tonight. Anyway, the two lieutenants realize that this is a mess, so they hop out of the van, ordering the driver to get out and put his hands up. The guy gets out, sure enough, but he takes off running. The one lieutenant goes after him, wrestling him to the ground. Guy is a little beat up, but from what I'm hearing, nothing out of the ordinary. What is out of the ordinary with that, though, is that he knocked over some grandma type who was walking along with her cane. The paramedics didn't think anything was broken, but she's been taken to the hospital to be checked out. I was in the middle of my own case when this came in, so that's when I called you. I knew you'd want to get your paperwork and a service vehicle. I had some of our guys secure the scene, and everyone is still on sight, awaiting you, Ma'am."

"Okay," Sharon sighed, rubbing her head. "Well, it sounds like hopefully this isn't too bad for us. Robbery/Homicide can get the murder case after I finish, so okay, let me grab my things, and I'll get going."


	13. Chapter 13

**I'll be traveling over the next week, so chapters will be spotty for this story and my other.**

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"Evening, Lieutenant," Sharon said crisply, as she arrived on the scene. She'd already recorded her arrival with the incident commander who had the log book and had been pointed in the direction of the lieutenant. Sharon hated showing up in casual attire, but for tonight, she didn't have better options. She was grateful that her backup blazer was still in her office; she'd never taken it home when she was pregnant, and for tonight, it would do. Sharon hadn't lost all the baby weight; she wasn't sure she would ever, but she was mostly back to her normal self. The weight left on her seemed to have shifted, and some of her things just didn't fit the same. It was a problem she'd planned to address after getting the kids to school. She knew she might need to purchase a couple of new suits, but tonight, and at least through the duration of this case, she would make it work. Most of her dresses fit just fine, and paired with a blazer, they, too, could still give off the professional look she wanted.

"Captain," he nodded. "Well, if it isn't just our luck tonight; this is so bad we get the captain," he grumbled.

"Lieutenant, it wouldn't matter which detective from my division caught this case. I have a strong team, and we are all quite capable of doing our jobs well," she pointed out. As soon as the words left her mouth, it almost scared Sharon how easily she was able to go from the sweet, baby talking mom at home to the crisp captain here at work.

"Yeah, but there's something about having you assigned to yet another one of my cases," he complained.

"Lieutenant Provenza, I don't believe I've seen you in my office in what, well over a year?" she asked. "I do admit, I seem to catch most of your cases, yes, but it's been awhile."

He huffed, "A year or so, something like that."

"Now, I haven't had time to pull your jacket or that of this other lieutenant. As you can see, I wasn't dressed for work this evening; I was out to dinner with my kids. Looking at this report, where's your old partner? The name on this report isn't familiar to me."

"He retired," Provenza frowned. "Yeah, George is off to live the life he has always wanted. This is my new partner, but don't worry, Captain. He's a good one, nice guy. We've been friends for years, and when George put in for retirement, I called up Flynn for this transfer. We used to work together, long, long ago-decades ago, but well-you'll see it when you pull his jacket-drinking got the better of him for several years a long time ago, so he got transferred to Hollywood Division. Since then, he's gotten sober and been sober for a long time. He's kept out of trouble there, and now, he's back, and we're back together."

"Hmm," Sharon pursed her lips, "Isn't it a bit ironic that you two are back together, and you, Lieutenant are back into trouble?" she asked.

"Now, just wait a minute, Captain," he started to explain. "We were doing a good thing here tonight. We came down here to help the kids, to volunteer. It's not our fault we stumbled onto a dead body, and yeah, sure Flynn did take down the old lady walking down the street, but that was in pursuit of our suspect. I was securing the scene back here."

"Yes, because you don't run, isn't that correct, Lieutenant?"

"I was worried about the kids, Captain!" he exclaimed.

Sharon nodded, "Okay, just hold on. Let me get your official statement. Where's your partner?"

Provenza waved, "He's over there, other side of the mobile unit, on the phone with the hospital. He's trying to get an update on the lady he ran over. He feels terrible about things. Flynn!" he yelled out. "FID is here. Lucky us; we get the head honcho, the captain."

Sharon started to pull out her paperwork while she waited for Provenza's partner to join them. She hadn't had time to really study it; she'd only gotten the verbal account from Sergeant Staples.

"The captain! Provenza I haven't been in trouble in years! I was transferred back over here less than two weeks ago, and I already have to deal with FID, the captain nonetheless!" they all heard as he walked to them, completely irritated, spouting off about anything and everything. Sharon turned when she heard the voice, snapping her files closed.

"Flynn, this is Captain Raydor, and she and I have an unspoken agreement to annoy each other," Provenza rolled his eyes as he introduced the two to each other, not seeing the reaction Sharon had on her face. "Captain, this is Lieutenant Andy Flynn, my new partner in Robbery/Homicide."

Sharon wasn't sure how long she stood there speechless, but finally she stammered, "Ahh, umm, good to see you Lieutenant," she nodded to him, unable to say anything else. Truthfully, she had no idea where she'd found the ability to formulate any words that sounded remotely normal. She might have reached out to shake his hand, but she had a death grip on her files, now firmly clutched to her chest.

"Captain Raydor?" Andy asked, also completely surprised. He tilted his head at her, obviously unaware of her job and rank, as well as her presence at his crime scene.

"Yeah, she's not as nice as she looks, Flynn," Provenza waved. "We like to call her Darth Raydor. You'll learn. Normally, she comes out here, trying to look intimidating, in these dark trench coats, power suits, and massive high heels. Tonight, thanks to dinner with her kids," he waved, "you don't even get to experience Darth Raydor."

Sharon snapped her head to Provenza. He'd probably said something she should reprimand him for saying, but she hadn't heard a word of it. Still completely shaken, she turned to Provenza, "Lieutenant Provenza, would you give me a minute here with, ahh, Lieutenant Flynn?" Sharon even had to look at her notes, which was unusual for her; she was good at remembering the names of officers she was investigating, showing now just how rattled she really was and calling him Andy was definitely not professional right now. "I got a quick account from you," she continued, trying to regain her composure, "so, let me speak to him a moment, and then we can take official statements."

"Fine, Captain," he waved. "I'll check in with the rest of my team and let them know the latest."

Sharon spun around, but before she could say anything, Andy spoke first, "You're the head of FID? I never knew you were a cop!"

Sharon's eyes grew huge, "Me?" she hissed. "I didn't know you were one either. I've been in FID for years, head of it for awhile now. I never even knew your last name to look you up!"

"Same here! I knew of Sharon, that's it, Sharon. Well, knowing this now, not that I would have wanted to be around anyone from FID anyway. Head of FID," he grumbled. "Just great. Word gets out, and I'll never hear the end of it. So much for my transfer."

"I really need to speak with you when all of this is settled," she told him.

He waved her off, "Don't bother. You know," he lowered his voice when he realized he'd drawn a bit of an audience, "I really liked you, but I never would have slept with you had I known you were in FID." He looked upward and then back at her, "I even asked you about your job, but you didn't want to talk about it."

"Would you?" she hissed. "Look at the warm welcome I get."

"Just great," he sighed. "This is like a bad joke," he grumbled.

"Well, the joke is on you tonight, then, Lieutenant," Sharon said as she schooled her features. She had slipped out of her captain mode for a few minutes and realized that this was not the time nor the place for personal matters. She mentally had to force herself into captain mode again. She started again, "The joke is on you tonight, Lieutenant because I am the one investigating you and whatever mess you may have caused here tonight. So, as much as you want to blow up at me and get mad about things we cannot change, how about we focus on taking care of work?"

It took her almost two agonizing hours to clear the scene. Sharon was exhausted, not from work, but from the mental shock that she'd just run into Andy, her Andy, yet, the Andy of her past. Apparently, he was like many of the officers she'd encountered in the department; he hated FID and anyone tied to it. She'd worked hard to focus on work, the facts of the case. She'd completed numerous interviews to include Andy, Provenza, and several witnesses who had seen Andy knock down the older woman while pursuing the suspect. Now, here she was, back in her service vehicle, and ready to break down. She put her head on the steering wheel, well aware there were still several officers and detectives milling around the scene. Of all the ways she envisioned running into Andy, this was not even on her radar. She never would have guessed Andy was a detective, never. She'd made it a rule after her divorce to not get involved with anyone in the department; she was FID, and on the off chance anyone would even want to date her, it was just too much effort. Now, here she was, breaking, no shattering her own rules. Not only had she gotten involved with someone from the department, she'd had his baby. Now, at the time, of course, neither adult knew that about the other's careers, and to this day, Andy still didn't know about Brady.

 _"I really need to speak with you when all of this is settled,"_ Sharon heard the words over and over in her head, the words she'd told Andy almost as soon as they'd gotten a moment alone. He'd blown right over those words, intent on completing his interview and nothing else. As soon as she had finished her interview with him, he'd hurried off to be anywhere else. She hadn't seen him since. Even during the interview, his answers had been short and simple; he hadn't noted anything about their personal history, and Sharon didn't dare comment herself. She was afraid she'd break down if she did. Now that she'd found him, Sharon was going to have to figure out how to proceed. She didn't believe in hiding Brady, but this was a lot more complicated than she could have ever imagined. She pulled her head up, wiped away the lone tear, and she dialed the house.

"Mom, how's the case?" Ricky asked when he answered the phone. Sharon smiled as soon as she heard her son's voice.

"Hi, Ricky," Sharon sighed as she smiled into the phone. "The case took an unexpected turn, but the case itself should be wrapped up within my 72-hour window."

"Oh, that's good," Ricky said. "So, will you be home to say bye to Grandma and Grandpa?"

"I'm going to stay here through the night and get some work done. Tell you what I'll do; I do need to come home and change if I'm going to be working the next couple of days. I'll come home for breakfast, see everyone, and I can say goodbye then. Hopefully, I can catch Brady awake too. How is he?"

"He's fine, Mom," Ricky told her. Grandma hasn't put him down all night. She's feeding him a bottle right now, and then she said she's reluctantly going to put him to bed. Then, I'm going to take Grandma and Grandpa back to their hotel."

Sharon chuckled at that, glad to hear that Brady was safe at home. She was still very rattled by her run-in with Andy and was going to need some time to figure out her next step. "Okay, well don't stay up too late yourself, Ricky, and please tell Grandma and Grandpa I'll see them in the morning."

"Mom, I'm 18. By the weekend, I'll be in college," he smirked.

"Yes, I know," Sharon told him. "Still, I can and will always worry. I need to get going. Give my love to everyone, and I'll be home for breakfast."

"Bye, Mom. Love you too. Be safe out there. There are a lot of crazies out there doing crazy things."

Sharon hung up, sighing at just how accurate Ricky's statement was to her own life- _crazies doing crazy things_. She'd been one of those crazies, with Andy of all people, and the product of her "crazy thing" was currently finishing his nighttime bottle. Wow. This case. Flynn. His name was Andy Flynn, and now that she had a name, she was going to do what she'd promised herself; she had to figure out a way to tell him about Brady.


	14. Chapter 14

Had time before my flight takes off. Didn't get to do my usual big edit, so remember I posted the story anyways when I could have waited!

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Sharon's case didn't take the full 72 hours to complete, but it did take her over two days. It took her just a bit of time to get back into her normal groove, knowing she hadn't forgotten to do her job, but she was just out of practice. After she'd taken statements at the scene, she was able to conduct the rest of her work back in her office, alone. Yes, that was the good and bad of the job. She often spent endless hours alone, but it allowed her to be efficient with her work. By the time she'd finished her reports, clearing Andy and Provenza of any issues, she packed up to head out. Andy's actions had been within the law; he was in pursuit of a suspect, and the older woman, thankfully, was not seriously injured. She'd stepped out of a store just as Andy was running by, a complete accident for both. She was so glad to hear the detective had caught the "bad guy" as she'd told Sharon that she didn't hold anything against the LAPD.

Sharon took a few minutes to visit with her team. They were mostly back, although her lieutenant was currently in the air, flying back to LA from his mother's funeral.

"Captain, sorry again to call you in while you are on leave," Sergeant Staples told her.

"It's fine," she waved him off. "Happy to help, and I know that none of you like having to deal with Lieutenant Provenza." The room chuckled, and she continued, "Now, I need to get going. It's been an emptying of the nest type of week. My parents flew back home, and I need to get my son ready for Stanford. We're driving up tomorrow to move him in, and then my daughter will be going back to Arizona State. I'll be back here in a couple of weeks, then with Brady in tow for the daycare. Until then, be safe, and call me if you need anything."

Sharon left the office after bidding everyone a good-bye. Instead of heading for the parking garage, she punched the floor to Robbery/Homicide, shaking her head that Andy now was two floors below, the irony being the daycare was between them now. She needed to speak to Andy, sooner than later, hopefully before he heard any lingering rumors she'd been out on leave. From what her team had said, most people were surprised she was out of the office. Officers would come by to see her, and they hadn't heard that she was out. Her team, respecting her privacy, only said that she was out for part of the summer and not why. But now, she really wanted to speak to Andy and hopefully before the end of the day. She schooled herself on the elevator, clad in her black dress, gray blazer, and her heels again. She'd missed her heels at the end of her pregnancy, and she had to admit, they did make her feel more powerful.

The sound of her heels must have alerted Robbery/Homicide of her approach because when she rounded the corner, the room was staring at her.

"Provenza, it's for you," one of the detectives called out across the room. Sharon followed the voice to see Provenza at his desk, most likely working on a crossword puzzle. Sharon knew what he hid behind his files; the man was a good detective, but he loved those puzzles.

"Actually, I'm looking for Lieutenant Flynn," she stated as Provenza looked over to her. "Lieutenant," she told Provenza, "the case is now closed, but I just need a signature still from Lieutenant Flynn."

"Oh, well," Provenza popped up and walked to Sharon, "Captain, he's gone already. He was supposed to be on leave today and only stayed around to finish out this mess. He high-tailed it out of here as soon as he could. His leave had been approved before he even transferred back, college drop off with the family in San Diego."

"Oh," Sharon's eyebrows rose. So, there it was; Andy was taking Nate to San Diego. She didn't know whether to let out her breath in frustration or relief. "I see," she nodded. "Well, then, I can have him sign this paperwork next week. She was a tad surprised, but she knew Andy had mentioned Nate was considering the school even though his sister was already there.

"He'll be back Monday morning, Captain. Do you want me to have him come to your office?" Provenza asked.

"No," she shook her head, confirming that a lot of the building did not know she'd been out. Again, she wasn't sure if it was good or bad that she hadn't been missed. "I've got my own college kids to drop off, so I'll catch up with him after everyone returns to work with an empty nest," she slightly chuckled, knowing full well she still wouldn't have an empty nest at home.

"Okay, anything else, then? If you need to leave him paperwork, that's his desk," Provenza pointed to a neat and tidy desk to the side. Sharon turned and smiled at it, just one of the very few things she now knew about Andy.

"I'll get in touch, soon, Lieutenant. Thank you. Everyone, enjoy your day," she nodded to them as she retreated to the elevator. Once she was in the elevator, she let out another deep breath. Okay, so now she had a few more days to get this figured out, again not sure if that was good or bad. She didn't want to be distracted on the trip to Stanford; it was Ricky's big weekend. She also knew that the more she kept having to think this through, the more she was going to worry herself. After she had had her run-in with Andy, she'd worked through the night so she could see her family before her parents flew out. She met them at the condo, had breakfast and changed, got in some snuggle time with Brady, and then she volunteered to take her parents to the airport since she was heading back to work. It was on that airport run, she told her mom and dad the latest.

"I found Andy," she told them after the were on the road.

"You did? Where? Please tell me he wasn't some suspect," her mom said.

Sharon let out a nervous laugh as she navigated traffic, "The opposite. He's a lieutenant in a Robbery/Homicide. I haven't run into him before because he was in a different part of LA. He was the center of my case!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, Sharon, so you told him?" her mom asked. Her dad was interested in the conversation, but he was a listener instead of a talker.

"Not yet, work. I am going to find him after the case. Needless to say, it was a huge shock. I think I am still shaking. Neither of us could believe we saw the other," she said.

"Well, do you think he will be okay with everything?" her dad piped in.

"Not sure," Sharon shrugged. "It is what it is. Brady is here to stay, no matter what kind of involvement Andy wants. Ironic the daycare is the floor between our offices," she slightly groaned.

She talked with her parents until they reached the airport and then promised to update them after she spoke to Andy, knowing it could be a few days. She had a lot on her plate right now.

Finally, Ricky's big weekend arrived, and Sharon did as they discussed and secured a bigger vehicle; she borrowed an SUV from Sergeant Staples, one good thing that had come of her going into work (she'd told him about her weekend), and it was large enough to fit the four of them, all of Ricky's things, their own luggage, as well as the extras for Brady. The sergeant had said the kids were welcome to drive it; he'd had it for a few years, and while it still looked brand new, he wasn't worried about it. Sharon had decided to forgo her stroller for this trip, as much as she wanted to take it. It was too big with everything else, and she'd recently bought a pack to put Brady in. The kids had started joking with her that she looked like a kangaroo carrying him around, but it worked well, was nice and compact, and Brady loved it. He'd get all snuggled up in a tight ball inside it on Sharon's chest and would then sleep well. It would work for the weekend.

"Okay, is everyone in the car?" she chuckled as they piled in, almost unable to see anything.

"We need a roll call or something," Ricky said from the driver seat. He'd begged Sharon to drive, finally convincing her that he wasn't going to have his car with him all year, so she'd given in. Right now, she was letting Emily sit in the backseat with Brady, also another guilt trip. Sharon had volunteered to sit back there with him, but Emily had played a similar card, that she wouldn't see him for months and wanted to enjoy him now. So, they were ready, bound for Stanford, and Sharon felt like she could breathe a little knowing that she had the whole weekend to focus on one son, and she would then focus on her other son's father next week.

"Well, the good brother and I are all set back here," Emily grinned.

Sharon smiled at her family, snapping a picture of them before they hit the road.

The trip north went surprisingly well, and even though they had just done this with Brady a month earlier, they could all tell he was just a bit older. It helped having Emily too; she enjoyed feeding him his bottle, and it minimized their stops. They still made several stops for the restroom, gas, and diaper changes, but Sharon really savored this trip, making memories with all three of her kids.

"I can't believe you are both in college," she said as they were approaching Stanford. She hadn't brought up the fact they were both leaving for several hours, but now, as they were starting to see signs on the freeway for the school, she was starting to get emotional.

"Was she this bad when you left for school, Em?" Ricky asked, glancing in the rearview mirror. Emily had driven for a couple hours, and now he was back at the wheel. Sharon had taken Emily's driving turn to sit with Brady, not worried she hadn't driven up here today, knowing she would be doing quite a bit of the driving on Sunday.

"She was worse," Emily grinned, tapping Sharon on the shoulder. "Weren't you, Mom? Ricky, you just don't remember because you were in your sulky teenager stage. You should be grateful for the little brother here. Imagine if Mom was going home to an empty condo; she'd be a train wreck."

"Enough," Sharon sighed, shaking her head. "I will miss you both. I'm also very excited for you, so it's a mix of emotions. Yes, Brady is going to be at home with me, but I'm losing you two. What am I going to do for a babysitter?" she teased to lighten the mood a bit.

Just then Brady let out what sounded like a squawk to almost let the car know he was there. They all started to laugh, enjoying the sweet baby.

Sharon sighed again as Ricky pulled into the hotel, the same hotel they were now getting used to staying in. Now, with Brady, Sharon was really glad the room had a separate living room area because it gave them a place to setup Brady's travel crib, away from the bedroom. Sharon had told the kids how much he moved at night, knowing it would drive them both crazy. That was one thing she was looking forward to when she got home-moving Brady into his room, or Ricky's room, really, just the boys' room because from now on, they'd be sharing when Ricky was home from school.

"We made it," Ricky grinned. "Man, I can't wait to get moved in tomorrow. Mom, we can load up on breakfast before we hit the dorm."

"Why do you think she always stays at this hotel?" Emily laughed. "She picks this place because they have the best breakfast to feed you, the human garbage disposal."

The four got situated in the room, and after ordering a pizza, Ricky's pick, they got ready for bed. It was going to be a long day tomorrow getting Ricky moved in. Colleges always were on move in day, and at least they were ready for it. They had a game plan. Sharon and Ricky would do most of the moving in first thing in the morning while Emily stayed with Brady. They would pick Emily and Brady up for lunch, get Ricky anything he needed at the store, and thenSharon would take charge of Brady for awhile while Emily helped Ricky decorate. He had no interest in that, but Emily did, so she was excited to put her stamp on his room.

The morning went well, and they didn't have to park too far away. Sharon thanked Ricky over and over for picking a cooler climate than Emily. Ricky's roommate was arriving later in the day, so they had a lot of the day with the room to themselves. Emily said Brady hadn't napped well in the morning, so Sharon decided that maybe taking him for a walk would help. They parked after lunch, and the kids headed to the room, and Sharon the nearby garden.

"I'll just walk around with him for awhile and see if he will fall asleep. The garden there should be nice and quiet. After I get him to sleep, I will come up to the room to check on you. He loves this pack, so I hope he will get a good nap."

"Watch out; Mom is turning into the kangaroo," Ricky chuckled as Sharon got Brady situated in the pack. She glared at him and told the kids to behave.

Her walk through the garden was just what Brady needed. He fell asleep instantly, and she continued to walk, enjoying the peace and quiet for Brady. It also gave her time to think, time to prepare for next week. Finally, she looked at her watch, noting Brady had now been sleeping an hour. She decided to check on the kids' progress and started toward the garden entrance.

"What are you doing here?" she caught her breath at the sight in front of her, here at the garden entrance.


	15. Chapter 15

"What are you doing here?" Sharon's mouth dropped open as she repeated herself for a second time. Andy stood before her, or actually, sat before her. After her walk through the park, she was shocked to find him sitting on one of the park benches at the garden's entrance. He stood when she spoke, both Andy and Sharon dumbfounded at the sight of each other.

"I saw Ricky in the dorm, both your kids, I assume," he said, simply repeating her question in his shell-shocked state, skipping over the very visible elephant in the room who was snoozing away on Sharon. Andy appeared to be in a trance, staring at Sharon, or what was on Sharon. He continued, "I ran into Ricky, and I asked him where you were. He said you had taken Brady out for a walk. The way he said, it, I assumed Brady was a dog," he shook his head, tilting it to stare at Sharon.

"I don't like dogs," Sharon responded immediately without thinking, his conversation silly, but neither was addressing the issue at hand. "Cats are fine," she continued, giving him random information as she rambled, "but, I'm not a dog person."

"I'm not either," he nodded in agreement.

Sharon, now having composed herself, took a deep breath, "This is Brady," she gestured to the sleeping baby. It was hard to see anything about him, as he had on a navy-blue bucket hat to keep his head shaded. The front pack almost completely covered him, so right now, Sharon did almost look like the kangaroo her kids had been calling her. "He's most definitely not a dog. He's not a cat either," she clarified as if there was need for that.

Andy's eyes went wide, as he processed what Sharon had said, as if there was any doubt she had a tiny human attached to her.

"Ah, um, well," Andy gestured to Sharon, pointing to her, "Brady's yours? Your kids obviously didn't give me much information."

Sharon pursed her lips and nodded, "Yes," she admitted, now in an almost businesslike tone. "Brady is mine, ours, yours. Andy, Brady is your son too."

Andy's eyes grew larger, if that was even possible, and he took a step back, almost a stumble, as he tried to grab hold of the park bench. He lowered himself, the color running from his face. He didn't appear angry, just shocked at the information. Sharon took a few quick steps to his side, wanting to make sure he wasn't going to pass out on her.

"Andy?" she said in a loud tone, not upset, but worried he couldn't hear her. "Are you having a heart attack?" She put her hand on his shoulder, and noticed he had his head bent and appeared to be taking deep breaths.

Andy looked up and to Sharon, their eyes finally meeting, "No," he took a deep breath. "No heart attack. This is Brady?' he repeated in a question what she'd already confirmed.

"Yes," Sharon moved to sit on the bench, near him, but trying to give him a bit of space now that he appeared to be okay, as okay as one could be with news like this. Okay was relative.

He nodded, looking to the mound under the pack, not being able to see much more than the navy-blue bucket hat Brady was wearing.

"Wait?" he asked, now coherent and trying to put everything together. "I thought you were-" he trailed off, shaking his head.

Sharon understood what he was trying to say, "Apparently, I forgot that antibiotics can counteract things. Your reaction," she nodded to what he'd just gone through-sitting down, shocked-"well, mine was similar, but my reaction also involved a lot of crying. Hormones," she shrugged simply. "At the end of the day, I don't know what I'd do without him now."

Andy simply nodded, taking it all in. "So," he almost whispered, gesturing to Brady.

Sharon's smile grew as wide as it had been in a long time. She loved talking about her kids, and while this situation had not transpired how she'd methodically thought through, she rubbed her hands down the sides of Brady's little pack. He was still sleeping even with all the commotion. "This," she ran her hands on Brady's back again, not actually touching his back because the pack was in the way, "is Brady Thomas Raydor. Brady because I liked the name, Thomas he gets from my dad, and well, Radyor is my last name," she explained, "something you just learned a few days ago." She paused before she continued, "He is just over two months old, born June 4th. He was a little peanut," she smiled as she met Andy's stunned gaze, "weighing in at 6 lbs. 2 oz." Sharon bit her lip as she finished introducing Andy to his son. He simply met her gaze, still stunned, looked back at the mounded pack, and then back to Sharon. "Now, he's getting bigger by the day; he's changed a lot already."

"You went through all that alone?" he asked as he ran his hand through his hair, trying to calm himself.

Sharon nodded and offered a simple shrug, "Sort of, yes. Emily and Ricky have been great, and they love their brother," she gave a small smile. She lowered her voice, almost not wanting to admit just how little she'd really known about Andy, "Andy, I didn't even know your last name."

"Right," he sighed, shaking his head. "That all goes back to why I even came out here. Here I was, expecting to find you walking a dog," he sighed. "I came out here because I wanted to apologize for the other night at the crime scene. I was a total jerk; I know that, and I want you to know, it wasn't directed at you. Yes, I realize I directed it at you, but that wasn't the intent. You have no reason to believe that; you're right that you barely know me, but I tend to fly off the handle when I get agitated, and I was most definitely agitated. Provenza agitates me. I was mad about the evening. Here I was back in Robbery/Homicide where I have tried to prove myself and transfer for years. Finally, I was where I wanted to be, and not even a month there, I'm being told that the captain of FID is coming to investigate me. If the case didn't anger me enough, I was blown away when, after thinking of you for months, that captain happened to be you. I just blew, completely lost my cool, and I'm sorry."

Sharon nodded, but before she could say anything, Brady started to shift and then to cry, indicating naptime was over. Andy's expression grew even bigger when Brady emitted his first sound. Andy just stared at the pack almost in awe of anything that tiny emitting a noise.

Instinctively, Sharon stood up, patting the pack and shushing Brady before he got too wound up. Andy's eyes followed her motions, and he remained silent as he just watched her.

"I just can't believe it," he shook his head.

Sharon, now swaying back and forth to see if Brady was going to go back to sleep, looked to Andy, "Andy, I wanted to tell you about him. I have already tried on two occasions."

"Right," Andy shook his head. "I was a jerk; you said we needed to talk, didn't you? I remember coming back with some nasty, smart comment. I'm sorry."

Sharon nodded, "I also stopped by Robbery/Homicide yesterday afternoon, which begs the question-What are you doing here? Lieutenant Provenza said you were headed to San Diego for college drop-off. Nate picked San Diego?" she asked, looking at him pensively.

He looked at her with an odd glance, "Nate's here," he said. "He and Ricky are in the same dorm, which I just found out, go figure," he rolled his eyes. "I was in San Diego, to get Nicole moved into her apartment. I was already mad that I'd gotten stuck at work. Sandra took Nicole down there, and I couldn't believe that once again, I was letting everyone down. As soon as I got through with work, I got on the freeway and drove down to finish helping Nicole. I stayed to finish with her, while Sandra went home to collect Nate. I drove all the way up here direct from San Diego to meet Nate and Sandra here."

"Oh," Sharon puckered her lips together and looked down. "I guess I just misunderstood."

"I drove all night to get here; I didn't want to disappoint everyone again," he explained, but as he looked to Sharon, standing there with Brady, he continued, "I guess I just didn't realize I was disappointing you too, in a much different way. I'm so sorry."

Sharon nodded. There wasn't much to be said, well, there was, but she didn't want to make him feel even more guilty for something he hadn't been informed. "Andy, I'm aware this is going to destroy things with your family, and I'm sorry. I don't want to be a problem with your wife."

He's eyes grew large, "My wife? Sandra? Sharon, I told you we divorced a long time ago."

"Yes," Sharon nodded, "and last we were together," she looked to Brady and back to Andy, "you told me she wanted to get back together, that you wanted that too."

"Oh," he sighed, "about that, I was way off. Yes, she wanted to meet up with me, but it was to tell me she's dating someone. Actually, the kids have said they think the two are about to get engaged. I was longing for something that once was, and well," he nodded to Brady, "it's been almost a year since that, and I'm finally realizing that life as I knew it decades ago, isn't going to be. I'm okay with it, and quite frankly, Sandra and I have been getting along fine. Now, if she up and marries the guy, it's going to be weird. He's already tried to be the dad she claims I haven't been, but I've been trying to fix things with the kids for a long time."

Brady cried out again, and Andy's head snapped up to the noise. "Is he awake?" Neither Sharon nor Andy was sure how to proceed with things. It was weird; it was awkward. They had somewhat cleared the air, well, the immediate cloud that hung over things, and while they had much to discuss, it seemed Andy wasn't running away.

Sharon pulled the pack out slightly to glance down at Brady, nodding. "I think he's waking up." She checked her watch, "He's been asleep almost two hours now, so that would be about right."

Andy stood again, legs still a bit shaky, pointing to Brady, "Can I see him?" Sharon met his gaze; he wasn't angry. Shock, yes, but there wasn't anger in his eyes. Sharon had played this scenario out in her head now many times, that of telling Andy about Brady, and she hadn't envisioned this reaction. She'd thought and probably overthought it for a long time, well before she knew his last name, knew he was a police lieutenant, and she hadn't expected him to show interest. She thought he might be in denial, show anger, yell, anything, but she hadn't thought through acceptance. She nodded to him, and he stepped behind her to look over her shoulder. He peeked at the little he could see of Brady, the first glimpse of his son. "Hey little guy," he whispered in a sweet voice. Sharon pulled off Brady's hat for a bit of a better view. "Guy has the life there," he chuckled, nodding to Brady nestled up on Sharon's chest. "View isn't bad either," he winked to Sharon, stepping back. Sharon scoffed at him, as she waved Brady's hat at Andy.

Sharon moved over to the bench and sat down, Andy watching her with interest. "Well?" she nodded to the empty space beside her and started to undo the straps on the pack. Andy's eyes grew wide as he realized she was going to get Brady out of the pack. He quickly moved to the bench and sat down, turning to help her with the straps. Sharon lifted Brady out, causing Brady to cry out more as he was forced out of his comfort. Sharon continued to shush him as he scrunched up his legs and then stretched. She put him down on her legs so that he was stretched out and looking up at them. Andy leaned over, smiling, to look at the baby.

"Sharon, he's amazing," Andy said, almost breathless at the first real look at his son. He traced a finger along Brady's cheek, running his hand over his bald head. "No hair," he nodded to Sharon, a small smile on his face.

"Hmm," Sharon nodded, "no hair yet. We have a deal; he has to wear the hat until he has a full head of hair."

Andy chuckled softly, looking to Sharon again, "I suppose that's my fault. I didn't have any hair until I was two."

Sharon nodded, pursing her lips, "Both Emily and Ricky had a full head of hair as babies."

"He's really mine?" Andy asked in question, trying to make sure Sharon didn't doubt her truthfulness, but almost in complete shock that Brady WAS Andy's.

"He is," Sharon nodded, a bit emotional now as the moment was hitting her. Andy, the father of her son, was meeting him for the first time. She almost couldn't put into words what she was feeling. "Andy, I wasn't," she started, but shook her head, "Andy, I was never with anyone else. I'll get a DNA test to prove he's yours. I know you don't know me, so why should you take me at my word, trust me? It was either Phoenix or here, last fall," she explained. "He's yours," she restated.

"I'm not doubting your truthfulness," he firmly stated. "I believe you. I just can't believe I came out here to apologize and am meeting my son."

Sharon offered a single nod as the two looked at Brady in silence. He was fidgeting, probably in need of a bottle and a diaper change.

"Would you like to hold him?" she offered.

He snapped his head, and his eyes met hers, "Yes, yes, of course."

Sharon nodded again, picking up Brady and gingerly handing him to Andy. She spoke softly to Brady, "Brady, this is your dad."

"Oh, Sharon," he sighed, as he cradled Brady in his arms, smiling down at him. Brady's eyes were trying to focus with both the sunlight and his long nap hindering him. "Sharon, he's just amazing. I can't believe you did this alone. I should have been there. I would have been there if you'd had any way to find me."

Sharon nodded, her hand running up Brady's arm, "Thank you. Brady and I are doing just fine. We-" she started to say, but Andy interrupted.

"Oh! I didn't even ask about you," his face grew white as he turned to look at her. He was careful not to move too quickly with Brady in his arms. "Are you okay? Sharon, you had a baby! There had to be risk at our ages. Sharon, you had to carry the weight of all this alone! Please tell me you are both okay?" he asked.

Sharon put her hand on his where he was cradling Brady, mostly to stop his ramble. He looked to her, "We are both fine. He's perfect," she smiled at the baby. "Brady is perfect. Yes, it was a bit risky, but the pregnancy went very smoothly. I only started to have issues with my blood pressure at the end, and I went into labor on my own at 37 weeks before they had to do anything about my blood pressure. If anything, Brady was good to his mom," she offered a small smile. "The delivery went very smoothly too. I left work, went to the hospital, and he was born a few hours later."

"You were in labor at work?" he asked, almost horrified at the thought Sharon had to work in labor.

"Well," she tried to find the words, "I might have forced Ricky to take me to work for an hour or so on the way to the hospital. I am the captain; I had work to drop off before my maternity leave started."

He looked to Brady again, nodding as he tried to take in the mountain of information, "So, when did you start back to work? He's two months old, so recently, I guess?"

She bit her lip, "I'm not technically back at work. My maternity leave is until September 1st. I was helping my sergeant the other night. My team had a bit of an emergency, and well, that's part of the job."

Andy's eyes grew wide again, "You mean my case, the mess Provenza dragged me into, that was your first assignment since Brady? You're still on leave, but my case was dropped in your lap?"

"Hmm," Sharon nodded to Andy, "quite the coincidence, hmm?"

"So, if your team hadn't had this emergency, you wouldn't have run into me?" he asked, now in a panic to think their paths still would not have crossed. Sharon met his gaze.

"Andy, things happen for a reason," she said. It was silent for a few moments as they let the conversation sink in, the full meaning of her statement sink in. Andy continued to just stare at Brady. Sharon spoke again, "Andy, I'm not asking for anything from you. I realize this is a bombshell dropped on you. I can provide for Brady, so don't think you need to do anything. I've raised two kids alone, and I can do it again."

Andy continued to look at Brady, and then he looked up to Sharon. "Sharon, what if I want to do something? What if I want to help, to provide for Brady? Sharon, I would like to be in his life, that is if you will let me."

Sharon listened and ran her hand down Brady's hand again before she met Andy's gaze, "Okay," she nodded. "Would you like to start by feeding your son his bottle? He's due for one, and I can get everything from the car. Then, we can talk."


	16. Chapter 16

Sharon stood at the hotel's desk awaiting her final receipt. It had been a good weekend, a weekend full of a lot of emotion, but it was time to head home. As she stood there, she looked at Brady; he was looking up at her with interest, strapped into his car seat, ready for the drive home. Sharon smiled at the baby, now thinking that her world had changed once again. She was leaving one behind here; Ricky would be home for summers, she hoped, but he was starting a new chapter in his life, just as Emily had done a few years prior. Her kids were growing up, all three of them, even if one couldn't even roll over yet. Brady was getting bigger by the minute, so it seemed, and now he'd met his dad. Andy. Sharon wasn't sure the emotions of the weekend had fully hit her yet, but she knew they would soon. There wouldn't be any rest on the drive home, but she was okay with that. She looked up to see if her receipt had printed and noted they seemed to be having trouble with the printer. She normally would have just left without the receipt, but she wanted to make sure the room service Ricky had gotten late the first night, well after the pizza they had all eaten, was listed and correct. She smiled again at Brady as he was now blowing baby bubbles. She laughed at him, thinking back to yesterday afternoon.

 _Sharon and Andy had agreed to talk, but Brady's needs were first priority._

 _"Do you want to put him back in that pack thing you have?' he asked Sharon. She gave him a surprised look._

 _"I can," she offered, surprised that he didn't want to continue holding him._

 _"It's just I don't want to drop him," he explained. "Obviously, I've taken care of infants before and held them plenty, but it's been a long time, and I'm still a little shaky myself with all this. I don't trust myself to walk a couple of blocks across campus to wherever your car is. Believe me, I don't want to let go of him right now, but I know he's secure in that thing, or so it seems."_

 _She smiled, nodding, "Yes, I recently got this and brought it this weekend knowing my stroller would take up valuable space. I'll take him," she put her arms out to accept the baby._

 _Andy nodded to her, "I'll help you secure him. Do whatever you need to get the straps all set." Sharon nodded and got the straps ready, and Andy helped her secure Brady in place. Once she finished snapping up the straps, she stood. Andy looked at her, a question on his mind. "Does that thing hurt? I'm guess it's a bit uncomfortable. I can imagine it feels like wearing a school backpack on your chest."_

 _"No," she shook her head, "it doesn't bother me, yet," she stressed. "He doesn't even weight 10 pounds yet, but I imagine as he gets bigger it will become a strain."_

 _Sharon had noticed Andy's eyes grew wide when she mentioned Brady's weight, "10 pounds?" he questioned. "Is he okay?" he gestured. "I don't remember how much babies are supposed to weigh, and man, that seems really small still."_

 _She smiled, nodding, "Yes, he's perfect. He's doing just fine with his weight. He eats pretty well. Let's get his bottle."_

 _Andy nodded and fell in step with her as they started to walk. They had so much to say, yet they weren't sure where to start. They also knew so little about each other, that really, they found it almost awkward to talk. The college visits had been easier in a way because they'd had a mutual interest with the boys' college choices. Now, they again had a mutual interest, but this one was going to required life-long involvement from both, and getting the discussion going seemed to be the hard part._

 _"My car is a block over, or my sergeant's car," she explained. Andy gave her a puzzled look, and she continued. "I have a sedan, and well, with the four of us, plus all of Ricky's stuff, our weekend bags, and then all the things for Brady, I borrowed my sergeant's SUV to drive up here for the weekend. It's now an extra vehicle at his place, so he didn't mind at all."_

 _Andy nodded, "That was nice of him. I'm sure you did have quite the load. I had all of Nate's heavy stuff: computer, tv, his weight set, stuff like that." Somehow for Andy and Sharon, the mundane topics right now seemed safe to discuss. The conversation hit a lull as they focused on crossing the street, and Andy continued again, "I want to apologize again for work, Sharon."_

 _"Thank you," Sharon said simply. "Andy, I'm not going to apologize for doing my job, for working FID, so if that's going to continue to be a problem when dealing with Brady, we are going to need to figure out a way to work around that."_

 _"Yeah," he nodded, "I know. I will figure it out."_

 _The two arrived at Sharon's car, and she got out everything to make Brady's bottle and change his diaper._

 _"I'll change his diaper," Andy offered and was met with Sharon's raised eyebrow. "I'd really like to do that, Sharon, if you don't mind."_

 _"Be my guest," Sharon gestured. "Few volunteer to change a diaper."_

 _"Well, I hope I can be considered more than a guest," he said referring to her comment. "I mean, he's my son, so I should change his diapers. Wow," he sighed, "my son."_

 _Sharon nodded and opened the car to create a place for Andy to change Brady. She made up his bottle as he did that, and soon they were ready to talk._

 _"We can sit over there by the dorm," Andy offered, pointing to a small outdoor seating area. Sharon nodded, and they walked over to find a place to sit._

 _"Let me just call the kids to tell them where I am," Sharon said. She didn't get either one on the phone, but left a quick message instead. She wasn't surprised neither answered; they were probably busy working in his room._

 _"So, your kids?" Andy asked, letting the question hang. Sharon seemed to pick up on some of what he was asking._

 _"They don't know you are Brady's dad. I never got into the details with them," she explained. "Andy, it's not that I wanted to keep you a secret, but I didn't want to explain that I barely knew you, that I didn't even know your last name."_

 _He sighed and nodded as they sat at a table. Before he said anything more, he helped Sharon unsnap Brady again, and Sharon passed Brady to him. It was quiet as she watched him get comfortable with Brady in his arms. Quickly, he settled in with Brady, looking like he had fed the baby many times. Sharon leaned both elbows on the table and turned to watch Andy feed Brady, a content smile on her face. Words weren't exchanged; the moment didn't need any._

 _Finally, Andy broke the silence, "He's so perfect, Sharon. He just eats and doesn't seem to mind that I'm feeding him."_

 _"Hmm," Sharon nodded, "luckily, right now, he's pretty focused just on eating, so the person with the bottle doesn't seem to matter to him. You look good with him."_

 _"You look happy," Andy admitted._

 _"I am," Sharon caught herself before speaking, and then she continued, "I am happy this is out in the open. I didn't like knowing you were somewhere out there and didn't know about this amazing little guy."_

 _"I can't believe this is happening," Andy said. "I came here to drop off one son, not aware I was gaining another one." He continued to watch Brady drink his bottle. "He likes to eat."_

 _"He does," Sharon smiled. "So, the kids will need to know. I don't lie to my kids. Yes, I refused to get into our past, but I didn't lie. I simply said that it was someone with whom I'd been briefly involved."_

 _He nodded, "I wouldn't expect you to lie. I'm surprised they didn't press you for details about me. With the warm greeting I got, I'm guessing you didn't tell them about our run-in the other night?"_

 _Sharon pursed her lips, "No, I didn't. I told my parents. They know all the details, but they live back East, so this," she gestured between the two of them, "will be a surprise to them, but they have been encouraging me to tell you too."_

 _"Mom?" Sharon's head snapped up as she looked up to see Emily and Ricky heading toward her. She panicked for a moment, realizing everything was about to be out in the open. She threw a quick glance to Andy; he was comfortable and still feeding Brady. She turned back to Emily and Ricky, quickly trying to think of how she was going to word all this. "Oh, you two found each other," Emily nodded to Andy. "Wow, Mom, sharing Brady; that's impressive." Emily turned to Andy, "Mr. Flynn, Mom doesn't share well," she smirked._

 _Ricky chuckled, turning to Sharon, "We just got your message. We were over at the campus shop getting something to drink," he gestured to his soda. "We got a cup of coffee for you," he offered the cup to Sharon. "They didn't have hot tea, or we would have gotten that for you. Sorry, we didn't know to bring you anything, Mr. Flynn," Ricky turned back to Andy._

 _"Thank you," Sharon said, accepting the tea. Brady was making little sounds as he was finishing his bottle. Sharon gestured to the kids, "Why don't you sit down and join us for a few minutes." The kids sat, and Sharon continued, "Kids, you've met Andy Flynn, here," she started, nodding to Andy. "Andy, you know Ricky, and this is my oldest, Emily." The kids returned the nod, and Sharon took a deep breath, knowing she must be turning red from the almost embarrassment she felt. Then, she continued, "Kids, Andy here is Brady's dad."_

 _The silence was almost painful as the kids processed what Sharon had said. Both looked to Andy; he tried to focus on Brady, but it was extremely difficult. The kids looked to Sharon, and finally Ricky spoke, "Okay. We suspected," he offered. Sharon looked to him with surprise, and Ricky just shrugged, "Mom, we aren't idiots."_

 _Andy let out a groan, drawing attention from the three adults. He looked to both kids finally, "I know neither of you know me, but please let me try to clarify a few things. Until earlier this week, I hadn't seen your mom. Neither of us had a way to contact each other. I'm truly sorry, and I can promise you, I'm going to be around now."_

 _Sharon cleared her throat, "The case I was called in for this week," Sharon started to explain, "Andy was working that case." Andy gave Sharon a slight nod for not getting into the details of the case, that HE was the case. Sharon continued, "I guess the laugh is on us because neither of us knew the other worked for the LAPD."_

 _Ricky's brows rose, and he gestured between them, "You both work for the LAPD?"_

 _"I'm a lieutenant in Robbery/Homicide. It never came up on all the college tours," he explained._

 _"So, now what?" Emily asked, looking between the two. Andy put down Brady's bottle and shifted Brady so he was over Andy's shoulder where hopefully, Andy could burp him._

 _"Well," Sharon clasped her hands, "that's what we are going to figure out. The thing to realize is that Andy is Brady's dad and will be part of his life. The rest, we'll figure out as we go."_

 _"Look, we'll give you guys a minute. We were only taking a break from decorating the geek's room," Emily gestured to Ricky. "Mr. Flynn, it was nice to finally meet you," she looked to Andy._

 _"Andy," he told Emily and looked to Ricky, "please call me Andy. I'm either Andy or Lieutenant Flynn; we aren't at work, so Andy is perfectly fine. I hope to be around; Mr. Flynn is too formal."_

 _Emily and Ricky nodded, and Sharon put her hand on Ricky's, "I'll be up shortly to help."_

 _"Take your time, Mom," Ricky nodded, and he and Emily left._

 _"They suspected," Andy clarified to Sharon, a quirked eyebrow._

 _Sharon shrugged, "In a way, I'm not surprised. It's not like I've paraded men through the house. Hmm, seems as if they are the detectives in the family."_

 _Andy nodded, "So?"_

 _Sharon took a deep breath, "Andy, I do want to talk, but can we focus on the boys, the grown boys today? Both our sons have a big day here, and this only distracts from them."_

 _"You're right," Andy nodded, "but, I won't tell you that this isn't a huge deal, Sharon."_

 _"I know," Sharon acknowledged. "Plus, I don't know how you want to handle your own family with this news."_

 _"Yeah," he shook his head, "I'll have to deal with that. So, do you want to get dinner or something?"_

 _Sharon thought a moment, "How about we spend time with our own kids tonight? We only have this last evening, so go enjoy Nate. I'm going to take Ricky, Emily, and Brady somewhere for dinner and some shopping; Ricky needs some stuff for his room, whether he wants to shop or not. I also want to hit up the college bookstore with him to check on books. He claims he can do it on his own, but I'd like to make sure he's getting what he needs, at least this first time. Can we pick this up when we get back to LA?"_

 _Andy nodded, "I hate to agree, but it's for the best. You aren't going to keep me from him, are you?" he gestured to Brady._

 _"No," Sharon smiled warmly. "I promise."_

That is how here, Sunday morning, Sharon was waiting at the hotel's front desk on her receipt.

"Everything okay?" she was startled from her thoughts by Andy's deep voice. She looked down to Brady again, smiling at the happy baby. She turned to find Andy standing behind her wondering what was taking so long.

"I hope so, but it seems to be taking an incredibly long time for them to print the receipt." She looked over and found they were finally making progress, and the printer was once again printing things.

"Want me to put him in the car?" he asked. After they had agreed to put things on hold regarding any discussions and decisions, Sharon and Brady had joined her kids in Ricky's dorm room, while Andy had gone in search of Sandra and Nate. They hadn't talked the rest of the day, except when Andy received a text from Sharon later that evening.

 _"I realized that you probably do not have my contact information, so here is my cell phone number. I plugged yours into my phone during the investigation last week. Hopefully, we can talk when we get back to LA.-Sharon."_

 _Andy replied back almost immediately, "Thanks. I'm going to tell Sandra and Nate at dinner tonight. Hope it goes okay, but regardless, I will be in touch. Wish we could ride back to LA together tomorrow. It would give us time to talk. Sleep well.-Andy."_

 _Emily had asked Sharon who was texting her that late in the evening, and when Sharon told her that she'd given Andy her contact information, Emily suggested Sharon and Brady ride home with Andy._

 _"Mom, I love you, but I've also been with you solid the last week plus. I could stop at that shopping area on the way home I love. Brady is great, but I'd make better time on my own. Besides, I have to head back to Phoenix Monday afternoon, and I need to finish getting my stuff together too. Mom, the guy just found out he has another kid," Emily pointed out. "I know you want to spend every second with me, but this is important. I'll be just fine. You know I love driving, and your sergeant said we could use the car. Please, Mom, sit down and talk to the guy. He's Brady's dad, and it doesn't sound like he's going anywhere."_

 _"So, let me ask, how did you suspect it was Andy?" Sharon questioned._

 _"Mom, we grilled Grandma and Grandpa, and all they would offer us is that it was complicated. They never gave up your secret, but Ricky and I talked this through for months. Andy was the only guy that you'd ever mentioned, so while we didn't know for sure, we had a hunch. We didn't think you would get involved with anyone at work, well, knowingly," she smirked. Ricky said you and Andy really clicked during all those tours, and well," she shrugged, "you are divorced Mom. I don't want to know the details, but now knowing who it is, I can see why you enjoyed those college visits."_

 _"Emily!" Sharon raised her voice. "Honestly!"_

 _"Mom, I'm just stating what you obviously must have happened," Emily grinned._

 _So, Sharon called Andy to take him up on his offer for a ride home and more time to talk. He was pleasantly surprised, and they agreed to pack up and head out at 8:30 the next morning. They also agreed to stop by and check on the boys before they hit the road, another thing Emily didn't care to do._

Now, here they were; Emily had already started toward LA. She wasn't lying when she said that she wanted to get on the road early. She had most of Sharon and Brady's stuff with her. Sharon, who still had Brady's diaper bag, a small cooler bag, and her purse, was ready to load those things Andy's car as soon as the hotel produced her receipt.

"Here's your receipt, Mrs. Raydor," the desk clerk said. "I'm so sorry for the delay. Have a safe trip," she nodded to her and then to Andy standing next to Sharon.

"Thank you," Sharon said, turning to Andy. "Now, I'm ready to go. I just have this," she indicated to a few items around her.

"I'll carry Brady. He might not weigh much, but that car seat does; it's bulky," he said as he lifted it off the counter. "I'm sure you can manage, but I'll get it. Hand me that bag too," he pointed to the other bigger one, and Sharon rolled her eyes as she passed it to him.

"Thank you," she nodded, picking up the other two small bags that would be traveling home with them today. They walked out of the hotel and found Andy's car there in the parking area.

"It's a new car, so it has good airbags and all," he pointed out, trying to ease her mind regarding safety.

"Andy, breathe," she offered a small smile to him. "You don't need to explain."

"Right," he nodded. "Sorry, I'm just keenly aware now that I have to keep him safe, all of us safe."

"Should I be worried?" she asked tilting her head, a slight smile on her face. She was teasing, and right now, he was so nervous, he wasn't seeing that she was teasing.

"I'm a good driver," he started to explain, finally catching onto Sharon, and then he rolled his eyes. "Fine," he held up his hands, "I promise I'll relax. Now, how does this seat snap in? Emily gave me the base when she left, but I haven't had to put one of these in for a long time. I should have paid attention to the car seat demonstrations they offer at work."

"It's not hard," Sharon put out her hand, gesturing for him to pass her the base so she could install it in Andy'. "I'll show you."

10 minutes later, they were loaded and ready for the road, well, they would be ready for the road just as soon as they stopped by Stanford again. Sharon was going to stay good-bye to Ricky still. Andy wanted to do the same, but dinner hadn't gone well the night before. Andy had told Sandra and Nate during dinner, and while Sharon didn't have all the details yet, Sandra had said once again Andy had screwed up his life, and Nate agreed, saying he wasn't surprised at his dad's behavior. It was about the reaction Andy expected, and on some level, he couldn't blame them. It didn't change the fact it still hurt; he had been making great strides with his family, but this would be a setback. Andy had only mentioned this all briefly to Sharon this morning, and Sharon was sure it would be part of today's discussion.

"I sent Ricky a text message while I was at the desk. He said he was up already and hungry. He was going to gym first and then to the dining hall, so I don't think I am going to have a long visit with him."

Andy nodded, "Nate told me he was out to breakfast with Sandra, no doubt discussing last night's bombshell. He said he'd call me in a few days, so he's not interested in saying good-bye. I went ahead and did my good-bye with him last night. I wish it wasn't going to be so long before I see him again. I hate leaving on a sour note like this, but he and I will hopefully work through it."

"I'm sorry, Andy," Sharon sighed. "I hate this is affecting your relationship with your kids."

"Don't apologize; I am taking responsibility for my life and the decisions that go with it. I hate it too, but it's going to take time to get back on solid ground with him. In time, hopefully, he can understand I'm trying to do right by everyone."

"There's Ricky," Sharon pointed, as they approached the dorm area where he was living. He was walking toward the dining hall, and based on his dress, it looked like he'd already been to the gym.

Andy pulled over to let Sharon out, and she called to Ricky as she approached him. He hated almost staring at the mother-son interaction, but he admired what a wonderful mother Sharon was. Brady babbled in the backseat, and Andy turned to look at him, amazed at the sight. Before he knew it, Sharon was getting back into the car.

"Everything okay?" he asked. Sharon wiped her eye, trying not to show her emotions. Sharon waved him off, trying to hide the small half chuckle/half sob that escaped.

"I'll be fine," she looked away. He could hear her sniffle. "I knew it was going to be hard to say good-bye, and Ricky knew it too. I guarantee that's why he's up early and wanted to meet me outside. I'll be fine," she wiped her face and turned to Andy, a slight smile. She looked back to Brady and nodded again, "I'm okay. We can get going; we have a lot of road to cover and a lot to discuss."


	17. Chapter 17

**Well, we've left our college kids at school for the time being, but don't worry because we haven't seen the last of the college scene. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

So, how was the drive up here with him?" Andy asked after they had merged onto the freeway. He'd let Sharon have a few minutes to compose herself. He knew she was having a hard time leaving Ricky, even if she didn't want to admit it. Now that they were on the road, he felt like it was time to start any sort of conversation. He didn't know Sharon well, but he figured getting her mind on something else might help.

"He did well in the car," Sharon turned to him as she wiped a final stray tear from her eye. "Of course, it wasn't his first trip up here, though, either." Andy gave her a quizzical look, and Sharon continued, "Ricky was up here in July for orientation. Brady and I came with him."

"Oh, that's right," Andy shook his head. "I didn't even think of that. Sandra brought Nate to one of the orientation sessions in June since she hadn't seen the campus. Wow, Sharon, you've been busy. He would have been a month old then, so since he's been born, in addition to recovering yourself, you've made two trips up here and been back to work?"

"Yes," Sharon nodded. "I knew it would be a very busy summer, as it has been, but Brady has been a trooper," she smiled as she took a quick glace to the backseat. He was awake, still making baby sounds. Sharon checked her watch, and she told Andy, "I bet he'll fall asleep soon. He's been starting to get into a normal sleep pattern, well, as normal as can be for an infant, but he's been getting up around 5:30, taking a bottle, going back to sleep until around 8:00 taking another bottle, staying awake for a couple of hours, and then repeating. So, based on the time now, he'll probably fall asleep soon."

Andy nodded at the information she'd given him. He was trying to absorb any information about Brady he could; the baby might only be two months' old, but Andy didn't know a thing about him.

"How does he sleep at night?" Andy asked.

"He has a feeding at midnight still, and then, he's started going a little longer to just the other night to 5:00 AM. Now, if he could start that, it would be great because then I could just get up for the day. Last night, he got up at 3:30, so it still really varies. As he's getting older now, I hope he'll start to fall into a routine. I really need that with going back to work in a couple weeks," she explained.

Andy nodded, "So, you have been just planning to do that all on your own? I mean, I get that single parents do it all the time, but sometimes you have crazy hours and all. I want to help."

"Well, I had planned to do it on my own. The department day care does have 24-hour care for those of us with strange hours. I don't want to have to use that all the time, but it's there if I need it overnight. I would like you to be involved with Brady. I guess just how much involvement is the question?" she posed.

"I'm his dad. I don't do things halfway. I also want him to stay with me, and I hope we can work out a schedule," he told her.

Sharon grimaced, "That's what scared me a little, sending him off with you. It's not you, well, I guess, it might be. I just don't know you, and I am struggling with the idea of letting my baby boy go with a man I barely know."

"I get that, sort of, but we are going to have to figure something out. I'd prefer to keep this out of family court, but if we have to, I'll go that route," he explained.

Sharon shook her head, "Andy, I don't want to settle this in court either. That gets ugly. I already had to take Jack, my ex-husband to court when we divorced because Ricky was a minor. I don't want to do it again. I said it scared me to send Brady off right now, but I didn't say I wouldn't. I think I'll feel better as we get to know each other."

"Okay," Andy agreed, "well, maybe I can stop by your house to spend some time with him? You're still home for a couple of weeks, right? Maybe I could come by after work if we don't have a case a couple of times? I don't want to invite myself over, but I do want to see Brady, to hold him, feed him, all that, and maybe that would help ease your mind, and for now, he could stay with you. I would like him to stay overnight with me and even on weekends eventually, but I get it. I also need to get things ready at home. It's not exactly setup for an infant."

Sharon chuckled, "Oh, I get that. I was not setup for a newborn either. Emily, Ricky, and I went shopping over spring break. We spent over three hours in the store, and even with all I bought that day, I still needed so much stuff. It's overwhelming."

"I can imagine," Andy said. "I'd also like to help with his expenses-food, diapers, co-pays for doctor visits, all that, Sharon. I'm not going to be a deadbeat dad."

"I'd appreciate the help; I've never had help where my kids are concerned, and while I'm not expecting it, it is appreciated. So, let's start with that," Sharon offered.

"Okay," Andy nodded. "I was thinking a lot about this all night. I barely slept. So, I realize I could just give you money for him, but that still puts the bulk of it on you. So, what if I take a month to pay for his expenses-the formula and diapers, and we alternate? Now, I realize that you've already paid for way more than I can imagine, so since he's two months old, and even with insurance, I know you had prenatal co-pays and am guessing hospital bills from his delivery, what if I cover things until he is six months old? Then, maybe we can get into a monthly alternating schedule of buying what he needs, at least food and diapers for now? Would you be open to that?"

Sharon's eyes grew wide, "Are you serious? Honestly, I thought you'd offer a few bucks here or there, Andy. As I said, I'm not used to it. Want to know what Jack did for Ricky's graduation? He gave him $20. That's it, $20!"

"Wow," Andy sighed, "he sounds like a gem. I'm completely serious. Look, I can even order the stuff online and ship to you if that helps. It will just show up. I'm also happy to get it at the store, whatever you need."

"That would be very much appreciated. Thank you. I am a diaper and formula snob, I must warn you, so you should know I'm picky when it comes to what I like. I hope that's not a problem for you," she offered.

He flashed a grin, "Are you kidding? Thanks for the help. I would be clueless what to get. Just let me know, and he'll have it. We can sit down maybe when he's six months old and figure out the next few months after that because at some point, I know he'll start eating food, so we'll have to figure that out."

"Okay," Sharon nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

"Now, with that part covered, tell me what I'm going to need to buy, please. I'm clueless. I know he'll need a crib and a changing table, along with diapers, formula, and bottles. What else?" he asked.

Sharon let out another chuckle, "You know, you are being nice to me, otherwise I might cut you loose on your own at the store. Talk about overwhelming. I felt completely overwhelmed. Let's see; there's no reason he needs a second stroller. We can just transport his stroller back and forth with each other. Car seat-that's the infant one," she indicated as she turned back to Brady. She smiled as she looked at Andy, "See, he's asleep," she smiled. Andy took a quick glance back and smiled too. "The infant car seat should last him until he's closer to one, and so, maybe you can just buy your own base. Those aren't expensive, and it will stay in your car, and then you just snap the seat in like I showed you today."

Andy nodded, "Good. I like that. So far, crib, changing table, car seat base. What else?"

"Well, I have a swing and a bouncy seat. The swing is too big to move back and forth."

"I'll get a swing. I can get a bouncy seat too," he offered.

Sharon shook her head, "I don't think you will need to do that. It's small, and he won't be in it for too long. Honestly, there are things he's not in yet, but will use soon like a highchair, saucer, and jumping thing."

Andy gave her a clueless look, "Okay, I understood high chair, but the other things-what are they?"

Sharon laughed, "The saucer, I'll have to show you a picture. It's a thing you put him in with all sorts of toys he can reach. It looks like a flying saucer, sort of. The jumper, well, you can hang it on doorways, and as he's bigger, he can jump."

Andy shrugged, "I'll take your word for it. Maybe we could go to the store together, sometime, that is if you don't mind."

Sharon shook her head, "Andy, I don't mind. Better to do it before I head back to work if you have a free day."

"Well, I'm on call all through next weekend, but then I have that Monday off. Maybe then?" he asked.

Sharon nodded, "I think I'm free. We can confirm as it gets closer."

The two continued to chat about their schedules and small things while Brady napped. They were both about ready for a break when he woke up, so Andy found the next exit with decent food and got off the freeway.

As he was pulling into the restaurant, he brought up another topic, "Oh, so I'm going to update my beneficiary information with the department. I'll go to HR this week. I don't want to leave him high and dry should something happen. Are you planning to setup a college account for him or anything?"

Sharon nodded, "Yes, I am going to setup an account. I plan to contribute a little once a month for now. Honestly, with two in college, I am going to be fine, but tight. I figure that after Emily graduates, I'll really start dumping money in since she'll be hopefully on her own," Sharon chuckled. "You are welcome to do whatever you like."

"Well, I'm in a similar boat. Sandra and I split the kids' bills down the middle each time. I pay half of everything for each of the kids. Why don't we sit down soon and figure it out, and I'll contribute what you do? If it's just $20 a month now, more, less, whatever, I should be able to handle it. Then again, when maybe we get kids graduated, we can reevaluate?" he offered.

"Okay, you are making this too easy," Sharon shook her head. "No offense, but I'm just waiting for the bomb to drop. Do you have some angle?"

"No ulterior motives," he held up his hands. "I promise. I want to do this right, do right for Brady. That's all. I think you and I get along well enough this shouldn't be an issue.'

"Thank you. I hope things continue going smoothly," she said, as Andy grabbed Brady's car seat from the backseat. He put the seat on the top of his trunk to unsnap the baby.

"You look like a pro," Sharon smiled as she watched Andy work. Soon, he had Brady out and was holding him to his chest. Sharon started to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Andy asked.

"He just looks like a little old man, bald and all," she joked. "You're so big, and he's so tiny; it's really sweet. I should get some pictures of you with him."

"Would you?" he smiled brightly. "I can't believe I don't have a single picture of him yet."

"Well, we'll fix that, and I'll have to email you some I have. I'll send you all the pictures from birth to now," she told him. Andy smiled and nodded at her.

"Thank you," he continued to smile. "Let's get inside and get all three of us fed."

Sharon and Andy took turns using the restroom while trading off Brady. Once they were ready to get some food, they made their way to the counter. It was a local deli, and both realized just how hungry they were.

"What are you having?" Andy asked. Sharon pursed her lips, studying the menu while she rubbed Brady's back. He was resting on her shoulder.

"I think I'm going to get their vegetable soup and Caesar salad combo with a cup of herbal tea," she told him. "You?"

"I was thinking the salad with the vegetarian sandwich," he told her, "with a cup of coffee."

"That sounds good," Sharon told him. "I'm surprised at the sandwich. Are you a vegetarian?"

"Mostly," he told her. "I'm not opposed to meat for some reason, but I just prefer not to eat it. I only eat it on rare occasions, and I also like fish."

"Good to know," Sharon nodded. "I prefer a healthy diet myself, but I can certainly put away a good burger on occasion, mostly when I am eating with Ricky."

Brady started to fuss, definitely ready for his bottle, and Sharon looked to Andy, "If you don't mind, I'm going to start feeding him. Could you order for me?" she asked, starting to dig out some money.

Andy touched her hand, stilling it, "Please, let me. Lunch is the least I can do," he told her. Sharon offered a small smile and nod of thanks while she went to find a seat.

A few minutes later, Andy appeared, smiling at Sharon as she fed Brady. He put the food down, putting Sharon's in front of hers, "So, you're a tea drinker?"

"I am," she nodded to him. "I don't drink much coffee; I prefer tea. I like many different varieties. It's fun to try new tea blends. Thank you for getting my lunch."

"You're welcome," he nodded to her. "Would you like me to finish so you can eat?"

"No," she smiled. "I'm fine. You can feed him the next stop. So, I'm assuming you head back to work tomorrow?"

"I do," he nodded. "Hopefully, it's not too crazy. Now that things are settled from the other day, I could use a good paperwork day. I figured out why Provenza wanted us to be partners again. He hates paperwork. My paperwork load seems to have doubled since I joined forces with him again."

Sharon laughed at Andy's comment, smiling down at Brady. She took a sip of her tea when she tried to burp him mid-bottle. "Provenza is a good detective, but he manages to find his share of trouble. I hope that won't rub off on you."

"Never," he winked. "Besides, that would send me to FID, and I really HATE getting sent to that office." Sharon was about to say something, but Andy quickly continued, "I used to hate going there because really, who wants to deal with FID? Recently, I've learned not everyone in FID is so awful. Some make good career choices to work there, based on the needs of their family. Sharon, I still don't like FID, but I get why you work there. Hopefully, this," he gestured between them and to Brady, "won't be a problem at work."

Sharon nodded, "I hope so too. Look, I'm going to fill out the papework that just states we share Brady. That's it; nothing else is required. That way if your jacket were to ever come across my desk again, it doesn't look like either of us have hidden anything. We're not in any sort of romantic relationship, so that's not a problem either."

"I've been thinking about that too," Andy, a bit nervous, nudged his fork around in his salad before he looked up to Sharon, "How do you feel about dating?"

"Me?" Sharon looked shocked as she considered the words. "Well, I can't stop you from dating, so you don't need to ask how I'd feel about it. We share Brady, Andy, and yes, while that means our lives cross, I have no right to tell you who to date. I guess I would just ask it not interfere with the times you have him."

"No," Andy shook his head, "I didn't explain that well. I wanted to know if you might consider going on a date with me? Sharon, we do share Brady. I, for one, would like to explore if there's anything more there. We obviously thought we had a connection a year ago. Are you at all interested in seeing if we have any sort of dating connection?"


	18. Chapter 18

"Ahh, Sharon," Andy called out her name, as the car had been silent for the last 20 minutes and now, they were starting to hit LA traffic. The silence that had set in was a bit awkward, which was another whole issue, but with Andy breaking the silence, Sharon turned and offered a small smile.

"I'm sorry; I think I dazed. You asked me something?" Sharon titled her head.

He let out a small laugh, "No, I hadn't asked you anything yet, but I could tell you were daydreaming. Where do you live? I need to pick a road," he gestured to the concrete jungle they were approaching. "I don't know where you live."

"Oh," Sharon chuckled, causing Andy to do the same. It seemed to break the awkward tension in the air, "I live on Los Feliz, a condo complex," she told him. She spent the next few minutes giving him specific directions to her condo.

"How have I not even asked where you live?" Sharon inquired. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay; you're right about what you said at lunch. Dating is premature, and I'm sorry to put you on the spot like that. I agree, although I might not like it," he flashed a grin, "that we need to get to know each other, for the sake of Brady. I live about 40 minutes from you, a small bungalow. It's three bedrooms, so Brady will have a nice space there. I love to do yard work and have a small backyard. Maybe eventually, I can build him a swing set or a sandbox. I hope you will bring him over to my house sometime soon."

"That sounds nice. I'm sorry we don't live any closer. We'll figure out something with juggling him between the two of us. Back to the lunch conversation, Andy, I don't want this to be awkward, and I think so far, we are getting along well; I'd hate to jeopardize that with dating gone bad," she grimaced. "Obviously, I didn't do well with Jack, and I don't want to make that mistake again, so I really hope you understand that I can't date you because you are Brady's dad. I know that sounds completely irrational, but," she shrugged, "for now, I think we need to focus on him."

"Yeah," he ran his hand through his hair, as he moved from one freeway onto another. After he had merged into traffic again, he continued, "We can focus on Brady. It's okay if we keep this just two adults raising our son."

"Thank you," Sharon nodded. She took a quick glance back to see that Brady was awake and just looking around at his surroundings. He was kicking his feet in the air, and just seeing his sweet self confirmed to Sharon she was doing the right thing. Date Andy? She couldn't do that. She'd never controlled herself around Andy, and she didn't trust herself to control her thoughts or actions now. He was attractive, very attractive, obviously. She'd thrown all caution to the wind multiple times, and the result was kicking away in the backseat. For Brady's sake, she and Andy needed to keep an almost professional relationship. They had a son to raise, end of story. Their lunch had gotten quite awkward after she'd told Andy that she couldn't date him. She explained all her reasoning, and he listened; she had to give him credit for that. He might not have agreed or liked what she had to say, but he listened. She had even told him that since this was the case of two adults raising their child, she fully expected that dating would happen for either or both at some point, not dating each other, but she expected that one or both would date others. That would be a bridge they would cross when it happened. Keeping Brady's interests first was the priority.

"So, ahh, I have my AA meetings on Thursdays, always provided I'm not stuck in the middle of a case. Knowing that, would you mind if I came over to see Brady sometime this week after work? If it's easy to pick a set day of the week right now, just like my AA meetings, that's fine. I also know your schedule is all over the place since you aren't back at work. I'd really like to see him as much as possible, but I want to respect your schedule too."

"Andy, that would be fine," Sharon gave a slight smile. "You're right; you should be able to see him during the week, and once a week isn't enough. I agree; it wouldn't be for me. I'm trying to put myself in your shoes, and I'd want to see him more too. For this week, just since we're getting back from traveling and all, could we start with Tuesday and Friday? You said you are on call for the weekend, so I realize Friday might not work. Could we try that and feel it out this week to get a better idea? We can discuss Friday, or if you catch a case, we'll discuss next Monday when we go to the baby store for you."

"Well, okay," he nodded. "Now that I know about him, I hate not seeing him every day of the week, but for this week, we can try that."

"How about if I text you about him at some point during the day, at least right now while I'm still home? Maybe when he's in day care, you can stop in and see him each day. That will probably help too," she offered.

"I'd like that," he flashed a grin. "My Brady update for the day. I would appreciate that, Sharon," he offered, "and, I like the idea of being able to see him each day when you start back to work."

"Good," she nodded. "I'll also send you some links to the things you might want to get so you can research before next week. I should thank you," she grinned. "You almost gave me a task for the week. Now, with Ricky at school and Emily leaving tomorrow, it's going to be really quiet. I'll look forward to you stopping by to see him on Tuesday evening when we can talk again," she said. "In fact, if you want, you can come for dinner on Tuesday. That way, you can eat, you can feed Brady a bottle, and then you have the evening to spend with him. It will give you more time with him if you don't have to worry about getting dinner too."

"Great," Andy beamed. "I'll look forward to it. Now, as you can see, we're a block away. What's the best way to park and get you in the building?"

"Oh," Sharon shook her head, "I just sent Emily a text message, and she's going to meet me downstairs tonight so you can get going, "Sharon said as she held up her phone. "She brought most of my stuff home in the SUV she drove. I do find it somewhat disturbing she still beat us home even after stopping at some outdoor shopping area she likes," Sharon rolled her eyes. "I don't even want to ask how fast she drove, but she's going to help me unload tonight. I know I've taken enough of your time."

"Sharon," Andy sighed and shook his head, "please, please, do not think of you and Brady as some burden. He's my kid too, and sometimes that is going to mean I can help you too. I can already tell you are really independent and don't like to accept help. I wouldn't have minded helping you to your condo. In fact, I would like to see his room and all. So, do not think of this as taking up my time. Shared kid so shared responsibility."

"I'm sorry," Sharon sighed. "I promise that on Tuesday, you can see the condo. I'm not trying to hide things from you; I'm adjusting too."

"I know," Andy grumbled. "I didn't mean to sound accusatory or anything. It's been a shock, and well, since I've almost missed everything the last year, I don't want to miss anything else." Sharon nodded at that, and as they pulled up to the building, she continued, "There's Emily," she pointed toward the entrance. "Now, when you do come back on Tuesday," she gestured toward the left, "that's the visitor parking area. You can park there, and I'm in 1109. I'll text you it again, but just so you know, that's the way the parking works."

"Okay, I will see you on Tuesday. I'll text you when I'm finishing at work," he said as he pulled up to the curb. He got out, opened the door to the back seat, and he took out Brady in his car seat. "Bye, kid," he ran his hand down Brady's face and arm. He gave his foot a quick squeeze and then leaned in and kissed him on the head. He walked around to the curb with the car seat in hand, Sharon already there, talking to Emily. "Sorry, I couldn't open your door for you," he explained. "I do like to be a gentleman."

"Oh," Sharon looked surprised, as did Emily, "it's not necessary. Thank you, though," she nodded. She accepted Brady from Andy, and Andy turned back toward the car to get Sharon's other bags out. As he did, he spoke to the women.

"Emily, nice to see you again. Your mom tells me you are heading back to school tomorrow. Have a great semester, and I promise to take good care of your little brother," he smiled, handing her the bags.

"Thank you, Andy," Emily smiled brightly. "I hope you two had a good drive home. I made great time."

Sharon groaned, and Andy chuckled. Emily looked between them, obviously not clued into their shared joke. Sharon turned back to Andy.

"Thank you, very much, for the ride home. I'm really glad we got to talk, and I'll see you Tuesday evening when you come by to see Brady," she nodded.

"See you then, Sharon," he nodded. "Thank you again for, well, everything," he gestured to Brady.

She nodded and said, "Let me know how it goes with Provenza. I am sure 'shocked' won't begin to describe his reaction."

Andy chuckled as he walked back to the driver door, grinning, "Will do. I've got to find the right time to tell him; he won't believe the weekend I had."


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay, I'm so excited after seeing all the wedding photos posted today all over "The Facebook." So, enjoy this very long chapter in honor of our favorite police couple. What a great day for them to film a wedding; everything looks beautiful, and I can't wait to see it on tv this October. So, here you go...the Sharon and Andy in my story are just starting to get to know each other. I mention the department day care, and the details are mine; I just made them up. Also, a few ladies will enjoy some tidbits about Brady and his attire :)**

* * *

"You found us," Sharon smiled as she opened her door Tuesday evening. She had Brady in her arms, dressed in a simple alligator onesie. She, herself, was in casual attire too, simple capris with a green t-shirt.

"I did," Andy returned the smile. "Hey, Buddy," he grinned at the baby. Sharon gestured for him to enter, and she moved out of the way giving Andy room. She shut the door and followed him into her condo. "Wow, that's an amazing view," he nodded toward the windows. "When I realized you were up on the 11th floor, I figured you had a decent view. I had no idea you had that kind of view."

"Hmm," Sharon hummed as she nodded, "it's one of the reasons I love this place. It is a great view. Come, I'll show you." They made their way out onto the balcony, Andy leaning on the railing to look out.

"Really amazing view. I can see why you like this place. It looks like a great place to relax on a nice summer evening like this," he stated.

"It is," Sharon nodded. "Would you like to sit out here for a bit and hold Brady?" she offered.

"I thought you would never ask," he flashed a huge grin and then moved to take Brady from her arms. He looked to the lounge chairs and settled in one. Sharon smiled at the two as Andy got comfortable with Brady.

"Can I get your something to drink?' she asked. "I'm going to get myself a glass of iced tea. I made some earlier. It's just too hot for hot tea tonight. I've got that, water, cranberry juice, and-"

"Iced tea sounds good," Andy cut her off so she didn't have to name every beverage she had in the house. "Thank you. I do like cranberry juice, for future reference, but the tea is perfect for tonight."

"Good," Sharon nodded. "I'll get that. He's about ready for his next bottle. He had one at 3:00, and it's almost 7:00 now," she checked her watch. "He's been going a bit longer between bottles, so if he gets this one in just after 7:00, he might sleep awhile and get up again around midnight. I'll bring it for you too."

"I'll hang out here with him," Andy grinned.

Sharon returned a few minutes later with their drinks and Brady's bottle, settling in on the matching lounge chair. She curled up with her feet under her, turned to her side to face Andy. They all looked very relaxed. Andy was studying Brady's face, as he had him propped up on his bent knees to look directly at Brady.

"I feel like he's changed in just a couple of days," Andy said. "Crazy how quickly babies do that."

"I agree," Sharon nodded. "Oh, I have my camera to get a few pictures of you with him." She got up to retrieve her camera and returned, first taking a few pictures, before she settled in on her chair again.

"Thanks for sending all the pictures you have already taken. It clogged up my email inbox, but totally worth it," he flashed a grin at the baby. Brady stared back at Andy.

"He's going to need a bath too," she explained. "You're welcome to give him a bath. I thought we might eat in a bit after he starts to get tired. He's so alert now; I didn't want to ruin any time you could spend with him."

"Oh, thanks," Andy nodded, surprised. "We could have eaten. I don't mind, but this is great." Just then, Brady started to fuss, and Sharon nodded.

"I think he's getting hungry," she pointed to the bottle. "Whenever you are ready, bottle, bib, and burp cloth are ready." Andy shifted Brady and took the items to get ready to feed him. Soon, it was quiet as the adults listened to the baby sucking on his bottle.

"So, I stopped by the day care today," he started and shifted more so he could better face Sharon. "I guess you still have to turn in the final paperwork?"

"I do," she nodded. "He's got a spot there; I reserved it and put down the deposit before he was born. I make my first payment when he starts there on September 1st, and then every month after that."

Andy nodded as he listened, "I took care of September today," he explained to her. "I'll cover September, October, November, and December. Then, maybe we can sit down and figure out the next calendar year, split it up so that we each take six months, if that's okay?"

Sharon's eyes went wide, "You did? Andy, I really appreciate that. Thank you."

"I mean it," he told her. "I'm going to cover things until he's six months old, and we can go from there. That will be December, so just consider that most things are covered until the beginning of the year. I know you spent a ton already on his delivery, other doctor appointments, and even stuff like all your maternity clothing. Sharon, it's not cheap, and I can tell you like nice things, so it's done. September is paid at the day care."

"Thanks," she nodded to him, not sure what else to say. Andy was really surprising her with his willingness to help. "I did get some paperwork done today myself. As I said, the final paperwork for day care is on my desk. I worked on it the last couple of days. After being called into work last week, I realized his paperwork wasn't ready. Thank goodness I had family here last week, but now, if I would have some other work emergency, everything needs to be ready to go. I wanted to go over a few things with you on the forms. I've got both of us listed, and then I need a couple of emergency contacts. I've got my office where I listed my lieutenant. He'd be able to get ahold of me. I wanted to see if you had someone to list on the forms?" she asked.

"Provenza," he sighed, almost chuckling. "I can't believe I would trust my son to Provenza, but I know he'd watch out for him if I'm unavailable. Oh, speaking of the day care, I forgot they mentioned we get a $25 discount each month because his parents are both police officers," he grinned. "They said they didn't know that, and I told him it would be on Brady's paperwork, so there you go."

"Oh," Sharon's surprise registered on her face, "I didn't know that, but in my defense, when I initially put down the deposit, I didn't know you worked at the LAPD, so I didn't even ask about it. I guess it's good you just transferred back to the building. People don't really know you to know what's going on with us," she gestured between them.

"Yeah," he chuckled, "I didn't get into details with them, but I told them you'd have all the info when you turned in the paperwork."

"Which jumps us to another set of paperwork," Sharon explained, "as I printed off all the information I need to update his birth certificate. I didn't have anything listed for the father when he was born," she looked to the ground, almost embarrassed to admit it.

"Oh," Andy sighed, putting down the bottle, to burp Brady. "Yeah, sorry about that. If there's a fee for that, let me know, and I'll cover it."

"Andy, you are going to go broke paying for all this now. Two kids in college," she shook her head.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Honestly, aside from my house payment, I don't have other bills or debt. I live a pretty simple life. I've been saving for college, so it's fine. Like you said the other day, I'll be tight, but I'll survive. What are we going to do? He's here, and yeah, kids cost money." Andy shifted Brady again and resumed his feeding. He ran his hands over Brady's feet, shaking his head, "Now that I've met him, I won't let him go without. He's just perfect, and he deserves a good life, a mom and a dad. I'm going to be here for him."

"I'll get the paperwork taken care of for his birth certificate. I'll add Provenza to the emergency contact list too, and I will drop the paperwork off at the day care before Brady starts. Like I said, I don't want to have an emergency come up and not have him fully registered. His shot records were just started, so they need that too."

Andy nodded, "If you don't mind, I'd love to go to his next appointment. When is it, a four-month appointment, right?"

Sharon nodded, "Yes, he'll have another appointment in October. More shots too," she made a face. Andy finished feeding Brady and had him trying to burp again. Sharon watched and then added, "I can go start the bathtub if you would like to give him his bath. I've got a baby tub for him, so it will just take a few minutes."

"Sounds good," Andy nodded. "I'll see if I can get him to burp and will be right there."

Andy found Sharon a few minutes later digging around in what he assumed was Brady's room. "Sharon?" he called to her. She had her back to him, looking in a drawer. She jumped up and spun around. "Sorry," Andy chucked. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"No," she said. "That was my fault. I didn't hear you coming down the hall."

"Brady, you've got a nice little man cave here," Andy smiled at the baby. "Guess you share it with your big brother too."

"Yes," Sharon sighed, "I've been trying to get his stuff moved in here the last two days. This has been Ricky's room, but before Ricky left, we got the crib all put together. Brady has been in my room in a bassinet, and it's time for him to move now that Ricky is at school. I still don't remember where I've put all his clothing, so I was digging around for his pajamas," she held up a pair of duck ones. "Found some."

"Brady, you're wearing ducks tonight," Andy nodded. "I like his room."

Sharon waved her hand around, "It works. I washed all his bedding yesterday," she gestured to the crib where a light blue and navy-blue whale sheet set was on the crib mattress. "He slept fine here today, so tonight will be his first night in the new room."

"Wow, first night. Big day, Brady," Andy grinned. "Bath ready?"

Sharon nodded, "It is. "I managed to get a changing table to fit in here too. It's tight right now with Ricky's bed too, but it works. I took out Ricky's desk and bookcase. I hated doing that, but I didn't have a choice."

"I get it," Andy nodded. He moved to the changing table to work on Brady.

"Help yourself, and if you can't find something, just look around. I don't remember where I put anything myself yet," Sharon chuckled. Andy finished getting Brady ready for his bath, and then he carried him across the hall. Sharon gave them a few minutes and followed.

"He's just about done," Andy explained. "Thanks for letting me get him ready for bed tonight."

"Sure," Sharon nodded. "I know you need time with him too. I normally rock with him a few minutes and then put him down. He's usually almost asleep when I do that."

"I like it," Andy nodded. "Where's the best place to rock him?"

"Oh, I have a rocking chair in my bedroom. That door," she pointed to the other bathroom door, "connects to my bedroom too. You passed it when you came down the hall."

Andy nodded, "Brady might have taken me on a tour of the place when we came in from outside. Your room looks very calm, almost peaceful."

"That was the plan," Sharon chuckled. "A calm retreat from this crazy world. Tell you what-I'll get dinner plated if you want to finish up with him?" she offered.

"Sounds good," Andy said, getting Brady out of the tub. Sharon moved behind Andy to dump out the infant tub. While Andy went back into Brady's room, she went to the kitchen.

Andy appeared 10 minutes later, "He was tired," he chuckled. "I think he was asleep even before I got to your room to rock him."

Sharon smiled, "I'll just go give him a quick kiss," she explained to Andy and gestured for him to sit at the table. When Sharon returned, she found Andy putting plates on the table.

"Sorry," he told her. "I couldn't just sit and let you do everything. I saw you had the ziti ready to dish out. I hope it's okay I put some on plates for us."

"Thank you," she nodded. "Help yourself to salad. I had to put a little more thought into the menu because you said you were a vegetarian."

"Oh," Andy waved his fork, "please, don't ever change your menu for me. I'll be fine and can eat around meat."

"Well, it seems silly to invite you over and fix meat," Sharon stated.

"I hope you won't see it as inviting me over. I'm here to help, to spend time with Brady. Honestly, if you ever need to get out in the evening, errands, whatever, I'm fine alone with him, that is, if you're okay leaving me alone with him."

"I'm getting there," Sharon admitted. "He's still my baby, and I don't mean that he's not yours, but he's my little guy. It's hard, no matter the circumstance to leave him."

"Yeah, I do understand. Wow, this food is really good," he praised her.

"Thank you," she smiled. "I don't get to cook a lot with work, and now, it's going to be even harder without Ricky here, but I do what I can."

"Well, it is really good," he said as he alternated between a bite of salad and a bite of pasta. "So, Friday night, if I don't have a case, will it still be okay to see Brady?"

"That's fine," Sharon nodded to him.

"Great, well, would you like to bring him to my house? I do have to work, but I can provide dinner. I'd also like you to see the space I have for him. I moved some of the things around in my third bedroom last night, and I'd like to paint it and really have a room for him. I figure if we are going to the store on Monday, it might help if you saw the space I have."

"Sure," Sharon agreed. "That sounds nice. I've really enjoyed being home these past couple months, but I must admit, it's nice to get out of the house every now and then. We'll look forward to it, and if work comes up, it's not a problem."

"Great," Andy nodded. "Friday night works."

The two continued talking for another hour, and Andy helped Sharon clean the kitchen. The awkwardness Sharon had felt in the car was getting better. She and Andy seemed to be getting more and more comfortable around each other. After they finished the dishes, Andy told her he needed to get home.

"Thanks again for this evening. I really liked spending time with Brady and talking with you. Dinner was great," he held up his leftover containers. "I'll enjoy this for lunch tomorrow."

"Oh," Sharon exclaimed, "I almost forgot that you were going to finish telling me the Provenza story!" Andy had called Sharon Monday night to thank her for all the photos she'd sent to him, as well as to tell her about his chat with Provenza. He had been nervous to tell him, but he didn't want to hide Brady.

"Oh," Andy covered his face with his free hand, "That was comical. I told you that he spit his coffee at me."

Sharon covered her mouth, "Yes, you said you took him to the diner down the street for a morning cup of coffee."

"I did," Andy nodded, "He's probably still recovering."

 _"I don't understand, Flynn, why we couldn't just get a cup of coffee from the cute coffee cart girl. She likes me, told me she finds me charming, and best of all, she charges me half price for the coffee!"_

 _Andy turned to Provenza and rolled his eyes, "You do realize that she charges you half price because that's the SENIOR CITIZEN discount rate they advertise, right?"_

 _Provenza waved him off, "No, she likes me."_

 _"Whatever old man!" Andy exclaimed. "Come on; I need to talk to you."_

 _"Oh, did you meet a lovely lady this weekend? Oh, please tell me it's not some college co-ed. Flynn, we need to have some standards."_

 _The two had arrived at the diner and took a seat in a booth in the back corner. Andy wanted some privacy; plenty of cops stopped in here during the day, and he didn't need all his life story shared with the police force._

 _"Get to it, Flynn, whatever you claim you have to talk to me about today. Please tell me you aren't missing your kids already. They haven't even been at school a week yet."_

 _Andy raised his hand, but before he could continue, the waitress dropped off their coffee. Provenza had stopped by the counter on the way to the table and told the waitress they'd each like a coffee. Andy shook his head at Provenza's gruffness, but that was just Provenza._

 _"Well," Andy continued after they had their coffee, "it does have to do with college. Remember, when you were trying to get me to double date a few months ago, telling me that I need to get out there?"_

 _"Yeah, you wouldn't go. Ruined my fun," he grumbled. "Then, you proceed to tell me you'd slept with some woman you'd met on those college tours. Oh, did you see her again?" Provenza looked to Andy with total surprise._

 _"I did," Andy nodded. "It's complicated. Her name is Sharon."_

 _Provenza grimaced, "Walk away now, Flynn. I've decided that there is nothing good about that name. Any Sharon I've ever encountered has been a disaster. Terrible name. I don't need to know anything more. She's not the one for you."_

 _"Well," Andy played with his cup, trying to continue, "the thing is, I can't walk away. Over this past year, she had my baby."_

 _Provenza spit his hot coffee out, all over Andy's suit. Andy rolled his eyes, realizing he should have timed that better. He sighed, and without saying anything, got a napkin and started to wipe himself off. He caught the waitress coming toward them out of the corner of his eye and just waved her off. At least it looked like Provenza reacted the way he did because the coffee was hot._

 _"What?" Provenza exclaimed! "Your kid? Flynn, are you such an idiot you didn't use anything?"_

 _"Long story," he sighed. "Neither of us expected this, okay? Believe me, not in the cards. She's not exactly a spring chicken either; don't forget her kid is in college two, two kids actually, just like me."_

 _"So, she's old, basically. You found some old mom," Provenza rolled his eyes. "Well, you are a bit pathetic."_

 _"Hey!" Andy grumbled. "She's not old; she's mid-40's, so just a little younger than I am, A LOT younger than you are, you old goat. And, for your information, she's beautiful, maybe even more now after she's had the baby."_

 _"So, wait a minute," Provenza pointed his finger at Andy, and he continued by saying, "so, she's had the baby?"_

 _Andy rolled his eyes, "Well, it's basic math, yes. I saw her last fall, and it's almost fall now. Yes, Brady is two months old."_

 _"Brady?" Provenza raised his eyebrow, "Brady is a boy?"_

 _"Of course, he's a boy!" Andy exclaimed, quickly lowering his voice now that he'd attracted the attention of the restaurant. "Brady is two months old. I ran into Sharon at Stanford. Our sons are in the same dorm, and she had the baby with her. You can imagine my shock, but he's just amazing, Provenza," Andy grinned._

 _"Flynn, how stupid are you? You're taking the word of this, this, Sharon," he gestured, "that she had a kid, and he happens to be yours? Flynn, you don't know this woman, and I already told you nothing good comes from anyone named Sharon!"_

 _"He's mine," Andy sighed. "She's not like that."_

 _"Really?" Provenza raised an eyebrow again. "So, she sleeps with you on a college trip for her son, and she's not like that? She barely knew you, but she's totally a soccer mom?"_

 _"Three times," Andy admitted, and Provenza almost choked on his coffee again. "It was three times, just to clarify," he smirked. "We really had a thing. Told you, she's beautiful," he grinned._

 _"Oh, spare me," Provenza grumbled. "So, I'm not even going to start in on what an idiot you are. I'd make her test the kid to see if he's really yours, but that's me. You seem totally in already, so tell me what else happened. You really have another kid?"_

 _"Yeah," Andy nodded, "I do. Quite the shock, I know," he chuckled. "So, Brady is two months old. We had a good talk, and I'm going to be very involved in his life."_

 _"Where does the young lad even live, Flynn? Let's not forget you have a job and some semblance of a life here in LA."_

 _"She lives in LA," Andy admitted. "I'm going over there tomorrow after work to talk more. I wanted to tell you because you are my best friend, and this is a huge life change. I'm not going to bring it up really at work because the other guys don't know me. I don't want to hide it, but if it comes up I have a baby, I'll just tell them I do; it will just look like I hadn't told them every detail of my life. I haven't been in the department a month yet, so it shouldn't be a problem."_

 _Provenza shook his head, "Flynn, just when I think you can't be more of an idiot, you are. Work is fine. People won't care; you are right about that, but seriously, Flynn, a baby at your age?"_

 _"What would you like me to do? Turn my back on him, on Sharon? It takes two to tango, old man, if you remember. I know it's been awhile, and your memory is going. I'm not going to just tell her to deal with it because I wasn't planning for this in life. She wasn't either. It's a major change to her life too. She has two kids out of the house and now a baby."_

 _"She's not married, is she?" Provenza said, looking to Andy, horrified._

 _"No! She's divorced too. We're going to raise Brady together, as best we can. I told her I'd split all bills with her."_

 _"Hmm," Provenza nodded. "There it is-the money shake down. What? Does she not work? Destitute and needs money, Flynn? Living on the alimony pony? What's the story?"_

 _Andy had been waiting for the perfect moment to "introduce" Provenza to Sharon, at least in this setting. So far, Provenza had grumbled about the name, not even with the slightest clue he knew this Sharon. Andy smirked, "No, she's very successful, even more successful than either of us."_

 _"Well," Provenza grumbled, "look at you. That wouldn't be hard. So, this Sharon-what does she do that makes her so successful?"_

 _"Oh," Andy nodded, "she sends people like us to sensitivity training. She investigates us when, ahh, let's say we find a dead body and drug money while volunteering. Yes, Provenza, THAT Sharon," he nodded. "Captain Sharon Raydor," he emphasized her title to Provenza to clarify she was successful on her own._

 _Provenza's eyes went wide, "What? Flynn, stop messing with me!"_

 _"Not messing," Andy held up his hands, chuckling. "I told you I never got her last name, that I only knew her from all the college tours. We were together three times during the touring season. She didn't know my name either, and we saw each other for the first time since then at the crime scene. It's Sharon Raydor. Never would have imagined," he shook his head. "Anyway, I was ticked off at her that day, for the murder scene and for finally seeing her, well, mad because she's head of FID! The same Sharon I was with turns up to be Sharon Radyor, head of FID and hated by most of the LAPD. She tried to speak to me that night, but I blew her off. I was mad," he shrugged._

 _"Wait a minute!" Provenza realized things were starting to click. He pointed his finger at Andy again, "She came by the office looking for you after the case was closed."_

 _"Yeah," Andy nodded, "she told me. That was why. I'm a dad," he shrugged._

 _"You've got to be kidding me," Provenza shook his head. "You and Raydor? You think she's beautiful?" he made a gagging face._

 _"Still do," Andy shrugged. "Look, I hate that she works in FID, but we have a kid together. Who would have thought, right? The Sharon I meet all over the Western U.S., works two floors up, and the kid we share will be in day care between our floors. The irony," he sighed._

 _"I almost don't know what to say, Flynn! You and Raydor? Are you two a thing, now?" Provenza repeated the gagging motions._

 _"No," he sighed. "I asked if she wanted to date. She doesn't. We're going to focus on raising Brady."_

 _"So, you're telling me, you and Raydor have a two-month-old? How did I not hear she was even pregnant?" Provenza grumbled._

 _"She's private, but yes, we have a kid. She's an amazing mom, and I'm really glad she is letting me be involved. Her ex was apparently a piece of work."_

 _"Jack Raydor, oh yeah," Provenza nodded. "Defense attorney hated by most of us. He's a real gem. Last I heard, he was on girlfriend number 12 or so and drinking his way through Vegas."_

 _"Yeah, that's sort of what I understand too. Sounds like you know more than I do, but I haven't worked downtown in decades now," he said._

 _"Well, sounds like YOU know Raydor much better than I ever want to imagine. Flynn, Radyor, really?" Provenza said. "Beautiful," he shook his head. "You need to have your eyes examined. Oh, please don't tell me I have to be nice to her?"_

 _"I expect you will be nice. Look, she's the mother of my kid, and we aren't together, but yeah, you can be nice. Think of all the fun things Uncle Provenza can teach Brady," Andy grinned._

 _"He's not taking my place at Dodger games, Flynn," Provenza pointed to Andy. "You will have to start buying three tickets when he's older. I'm keeping mine. No other Flynn gets my ticket."_

 _"Raydor," Andy corrected him. "Sharon's kid, Sharon's name, and it doesn't help she didn't even know my last name. Brady Raydor."_

 _"Hmm, well, he's still a Flynn by blood, or so you say. I still would make her get a DNA test, although the idea any guy would want to," he squirmed and stopped talking._

 _"You'll meet Brady soon enough," Andy explained. "He'll be starting in the department day care September 1 when she's back at work."_

 _"What do you mean when she's back at work? We just saw her last week," Provenza pointed out._

 _"The irony," Andy rolled his eyes. "She's on maternity leave and got called in for our case. Imagine that; all this happened from that."_

 _"No," Provenza shook his head, "all this happened because you just had to chase down the lonely mom at college orientation or whatever it was," Provenza threw up his hands. "Maybe this will teach you to pick your ladies better."_

 _"Hey, what we had was mutual, and I'm done with that," Andy explained to Provenza. Provenza gave him a strange look, and Andy continued, "Look, I really like her. I don't know her well, but I like her."_

 _"You said she turned you down," Provenza pointed out._

 _"She did, but I think there's a spark. I'm going to give her time. She made the first move on me, anyways," he winked to Provenza, "so, I have hope, in time, we can try out a relationship."_

 _"Just what the world needs, another Flynn, really a Raydor-Flynn spawn. Flynn, you really are an idiot," Provenza sighed._

Andy finished telling Sharon the highlights of the story, leaving out the parts where he told Provenza how much he liked Sharon. Sharon was still laughing about Provenza spitting coffee on Andy. He'd started to tell her the story last night on the phone, but Brady had awakened, so she'd finished the call to tend to him.

"Well, maybe our working relationship will improve," Sharon shrugged. "Provenza is one of a kind. I can see why you two are friends, even as annoying as he is. I can tell he's loyal, and that's a very important quality."

"He is," Andy nodded. "Loyalty is very important to me, not enough of it in this world." Sharon hummed and nodded in agreement at that statement. Andy broke the silence, "Well, I'm going to get going. Thanks again for this evening. I'll see you in a few days. You can call me tomorrow if you want; I should be home in the evening."

"I will," Sharon smiled. "Have a good night, Andy, and I'll see you on Friday."


	20. Chapter 20

She didn't even have the opportunity to open her car door.

"Hi," he grinned, as he happily stepped back to hold the door for her while she got out of the car.

"Hi yourself," she smiled warmly at him. She smoothed her shorts and questioned why she'd worn shorts anyway. She felt self-conscious.

"How's our boy?" he asked as he moved from the front door to the rear door and opened it. He pulled Brady's car seat out as Sharon started to speak.

"He had a good day," she told him, slightly caught off guard at his use of "our boy," but he was right; Brady was their son. She just wasn't used to sharing him yet. "He even took a short nap on the way here. Right now, the almost 40-minute drive is a good thing. I like your house," she nodded toward his bungalow.

"Oh, thanks," he smiled, the car seat now looped on his arm. "Still sleeping, I see," he nodded to Brady.

"Yes," Sharon agreed as she grabbed the diaper bag. Andy pulled it off her shoulder to carry it along with Brady. "Andy, I can get that," she told him.

"I know, but I've got it," he told her. "Come on inside. I've got dinner ready," he nodded to the front door.

"Would you happen to be making fish?" she teased. "Call me a detective, but you did ask me if I liked fish when we spoke on the phone last night."

"Captain, you might have figured out the mystery," he winked to her. He opened his front door and stood to the side so Sharon could enter first. "Make yourself at home," he told her. Sharon stepped into his house and instantly felt at home. The house had light walls with dark wood floors. It felt comfortable, and she was surprised at how nicely the home was decorated.

"Andy, your house is lovely. I love the furniture, the feel of it. Very relaxing," she smiled to him.

Andy put Brady, who was still fast asleep in his car seat, down on the floor by his coffee table. He looked up to Sharon, beaming, proud that she liked his home. "Thank you," he nodded to her. "Let me take you on the grand tour." The two spent the next few minutes walking through Andy's house. He showed her Brady's room first, at the back of the house, where Brady would, as he got bigger, essentially have his own bathroom. Brady's room would share the bathroom with the other guest room, which Andy said was almost never used. He was currently shifting things around, as Brady's room had been his office and Dodger memorabilia area.

"So, I was thinking that I might do a baseball themed room for Brady here so that I could still leave up some of my Dodger stuff," he explained. Sharon nodded in agreement.

"I think that's a great idea. I'm sure as he gets bigger he'll like that. What boy wouldn't enjoy a sport his dad obviously loves?" she asked.

"So, I'm still working out the other guest room. The only thing that doesn't fit right is my desk, but really, I don't use it much. I generally pay my bills at the kitchen table, so I might just sell it or something. I'll figure it out," he waved. "Come on; I'll show you the kitchen."

"Did you do all this remodeling?" she asked, her mouth almost hanging open at his beautiful kitchen.

He shrugged, "Yeah, I've had this house awhile now. Kitchen was bad when I bought it, so I had it redone. I did do all the floors in the house myself. I like projects, and putting down the hardwood was a fun one."

Sharon shook her head in disbelief, "Wow, impressive. Really, this is a great house."

"Check out the backyard," he put his hand on her back to guide her. "I'm serious that as he gets bigger, I'll build whatever he wants back there."

"Andy, wow," Sharon shook her head. "He's never going to want to come back home with me," she chuckled. "This will be great for him. We'll get his bedroom all outfitted on Monday, and soon, his crib and everything will be all setup."

"Yeah," Andy scratched his head, "sorry, it's not up and running tonight. I'm sure he'd sleep better in a crib rather than his car seat."

Sharon waved it off, "He's doing just fine, and I'll get him home soon enough. It's not like he's staying here all night." She caught a slight bit of hurt in Andy's eyes, and she quickly corrected herself. She touched his arm, "Andy, I didn't mean he couldn't stay here, just not tonight. I know I told you I was leery of that, but when things are all set here, I know it will be fine," she offered a small smile as a sort of peace offering. Andy nodded and turned back to the living room. Brady was still sleeping.

"Well," he clapped his hands together, "should we eat before he wakes up and is hungry? I put the fish in about 10 minutes ago, just before you got here, so it should almost be ready. I broiled it."

"Sounds delicious, and yes, let's eat. I'm starving," she admitted.

"Sorry I had to work late," he told her. It was now almost 8:00, and Andy thought they were going to have to cancel. He had sent Sharon a text at 4:30 that said he was still at work, and it wasn't looking good. His captain had released them just after 6:30, and he'd rushed home, barely beating Sharon there. Luckily, after he'd spoken to Sharon late last night, he'd gone out to the store to get the ingredients for dinner. He knew he might be short on time with work Friday, but he never expected to run as late as he had.

"It's not a problem. I'm fully aware of how the LAPD works. So, fish," she said. "Anything else?"

He chuckled as he opened the refrigerator, "Impatient, are we?" he teased. "I made a salad, and I have rice on the stove," he nodded in the direction.

"I see," Sharon smiled. "What can I do to help?"

"Just tell me what you'd like to drink. I've got water, cranberry juice, and hmmm," he looked in the refrigerator.

"Water is just fine," she nodded.

"Oh, I got some herbal teas too. I remember you said you liked those. I thought I'd keep some on hand, so help yourself," he told her. "I put them in the canister over there."

"Wow, thanks," Sharon smiled. "I might have a cup of tea after dinner."

"I might have to try it, see what this tea business is about," he winked. Sharon laughed, and Andy nodded to the table. "Sit, please. I've got this," he said as he checked on the fish in the oven. It was done, so he pulled it out. Sharon watched as he plated it and brought the food over to the table in serving bowls.

"Looks delicious. Thank you for cooking," Sharon told him.

"My pleasure," he said as he grabbed two glasses of water. They sat down and started in on their meal in comfortable silence.

"So, your case?" Sharon asked between bites.

"Yeah, we're finished with this one. He released us, with the promise we come in tomorrow morning to finish the paperwork. I probably have another two hours of paperwork, and I'm really glad he didn't make us stay tonight," Andy told her.

"I am too," Sharon smiled. "Brady and I went on a nice long walk at the park today. It was such a nice day to be outside. I've been enjoying walking with him."

"That sounds nice," Andy smiled. "If you ever want to walk around here, this is a nice neighborhood."

"I'll have to remember the stroller next time," Sharon said.

Brady cried out at that moment, and Andy jumped up like an excited kid. "I'll get him. I'm finished eating."

Sharon looked to Andy's plate, and sure enough, he was done. "How did you eat so quickly?" she asked, as she looked to her plate. It was still almost full, and she thought she'd been eating well.

He gave her a playful shrug, "I knew he'd wake up soon, and I really wanted to spend time with him. I also knew I was hungry. Andy was kneeling and unsnapping Brady. After he got him out, instead of getting up, Andy spread out with his back on the floor and put Brady on his stomach. Sharon laughed at the two guys relaxing on the floor.

"You both look very comfortable," she continued to laugh. "I'm sure it does you both good to stretch out."

"It's nice," Andy smiled. "Really nice."

The evening continued like Tuesday evening, in that Andy fed Brady his bottle and burped him while he and Sharon talked. Since he didn't have an infant tub, and really, it would have been more effort than it was worth to bathe him, Brady didn't get a bath, but Andy did put his pajamas on when he changed Brady's diaper. He looked up to find Sharon cleaning the kitchen.

"Sharon, back away from the kitchen," he joked. He was feeling much more comfortable around her, and she seemed to be similar; she, after all, was cleaning his kitchen without being asked.

She popped her head around the corner, "I'll clean up, as long as you don't mind everything going in your dishwasher?" Andy shook his head that it wasn't a problem, and she continued, "You've had a long day. Enjoy him for a few minutes. I've got this."

Andy did enjoy the time he spent with Brady. Once Sharon finished in the kitchen, she joined them in the living room where she sat on the couch and the guys stayed on the floor. Finally, when Brady was hungry and let them know, Andy moved to his recliner to feed him. Sharon, who had prepared his bottle, handed it off and sat back down on the couch.

"You going to be ready to go back to work?" he asked quietly as Brady was finishing up his bottle.

Sharon thought before she answered, "Yes and no," she told him. "I enjoy working very much, but I do admit I've enjoyed being home with him. I've been more relaxed this week, and I think some of that is finally having everything out in the open. I guess knowing that I have a good job to go back to as well as the fact that you're helping, well, it's allowed me to relax. I'm going to miss the lazy days with him, and I hate leaving him in day care all day, but it is what it is."

Andy nodded in agreement, "It will be nice he's in the same building. I'm glad about that."

"I am too," Sharon yawned. "Sorry," she shrugged.

"No, it's getting late, and I don't want you having to drive home with him so late. I'll worry about you both," he admitted. Brady had finished his bottle and was almost asleep. Andy nodded to Sharon, "If you move his car seat over here, I'll slide him in."

They collected Sharon's things quietly; Brady's transfer from his dad's arms to the car seat had gone well, and now, Andy was at the door with the car seat in his hand and the diaper bag on his shoulder. "Do you have everything?"

"I do," Sharon nodded. "Thank you for dinner. Sorry I was so tired," she shrugged again.

"Will you be okay to drive?" Andy asked, now concerned.

"Oh, fine," Sharon waved him off. "So, you're on call this weekend?" she clarified. He nodded.

"Yes, what are your plans?" he asked.

"Not much. I like to Skype with the kids on the weekend, so I'm sure I'll do that and get the rundown on the first few days of class. Sunday, we'll go to Mass, and I guess I'll see you Monday," she said.

He nodded, "I'm glad you take him to church. I got out of going after Sandra threw me out. I shouldn't have stopped going, but I did. Now, I just feel like I'll be judged if I go back."

"It's never too late to go back, Andy," Sharon smiled. "I had him baptized before the kids went to college."

"You did?" Andy asked, now surprised. "I didn't realize," he shook his head. "Do you have pictures?"

"I do," Sharon pursed her lips. "I guess I don't have any on me. My mom took them all. I'll have to get her to send them. I am sorry you missed it, but you are always welcome back at church with us, but as I said, Mass, so I am Catholic."

"Takes one to know one," he winked. "I'm sorry I missed it too, but I'm glad that was important to you."

"It was," Sharon smiled. "Ahh, I need to get going."

Andy helped load Brady into the car as Sharon got in herself. She lowered her window to speak to Andy before she left. "Thanks again."

Andy patted her hand that was on the steering wheel, "Anytime. Drive safely. Umm, would you mind letting me know when you get home? I've seen too many things in my division at work, and yes, while I know you are a more than capable police captain, it would make me feel better to know you got home okay."

"Sure," she nodded. "Hope work goes well tomorrow. I'm sure I'll talk to you soon," and with that, she pulled out of the driveway for home.

The weekend passed by rather slowly for both. Andy got stuck doing a lot of paperwork, but no major case kept them out. Sharon enjoyed her time at home with Brady, but found that by Monday morning, she was very much looking forward to the trip to the store with Andy. He'd called her Sunday evening and told her that he would pick them up on the way. He planned to pick them up at 9:30, and Sharon smiled when she heard the knock at 9:25.

"Morning," she smiled as she opened the door. She had on a knee-length sundress, glad to get out of the house today.

"Good morning," he smiled. "I came with gifts," and at that, he pulled out a cup of tea from behind his back. "Figured you could use a pick me up after the kid kept you up." Andy had sent her a text that morning asking if Brady had slept well, and she'd told him that he had been up more than usual.

"Thank you," she smiled. "He's ready, but no surprise, he fell asleep," she rolled her eyes and gestured to his car seat where he was already taking his morning nap. Andy chuckled at the sight.

"Kid has the life," he shrugged. "I'll grab him. You ready?"

"Yes, we just need to swing by my car go get the car seat base," she explained.

"No need," Andy grinned proudly. "I ordered one online the other day, and it came. I got the same one you have, but I wanted to go ahead and get that now. So, as of today, I'm officially car ready for Brady."

"Well, look at you," Sharon teased, "we'll have you looking like a new dad in no time."

The morning passed quickly, and the two found themselves laughing a lot. Brady slept through much of their shopping, and Sharon realized how nice it felt to relax more around Andy. He ended up ordering the exact crib Sharon had. His most thrilling purchase was the baseball bedding.

"I can't believe they have baseball bedding. This will be perfect for the sports theme in the room," he grinned.

Sharon shook her head, "If only Provenza could see you now," she chuckled. Andy laughed too.

"Well, I think I'm pretty well set for now," he said eyeing the two carts. One had Brady and some smaller things. The other had a couple of bigger boxes, including the swing. "Before we go, let's get diapers for both of us, and if I'm not mistaken," he started to look smug, "I believe Master Brady is getting bigger, and his clothes are starting to get a little snug."

Sharon groaned, "I know! He's already growing out of things. I have a few items in the next size, but yes, I do need to shop."

"Get what you like," Andy gestured. "Today, your credit is no good here. I'm buying."

The trio emerged from the store another half hour later. Sharon had joked she didn't know how Andy was going to fit everything into his car, but after a little juggling, he got everything and everyone situated.

"Where can I take you to lunch?" he asked once they were all loaded. Sharon raised her eyebrows.

"You don't have to get me lunch. Really," she shook her head.

"Way I look at it," he started, "I can buy you lunch, or I can help you into the condo and make you a peanut butter sandwich," he smirked. "Lunch-you, me, Brady, your choice," he offered. "I don't negotiate."

Sharon burst out laughing at that; something really struck her as being funny, and she nodded, "Fine. Well, what about lunch by the beach? I have his little pack, and we could even go for a walk maybe? It shouldn't be too crowded since it's a Monday."

"Beach it is," Andy grinned, and they set off in search of food and sand.

Over an hour later, after all three had eaten, Sharon pulled out the pack to wear on the beach.

"Is that something I could use?" he gestured to it. "I mean, could I carry him in that?"

"Sure," Sharon nodded, surprised. She saw the smile on Andy's face and realized he was very excited about the idea of carrying Brady. She adjusted the straps and showed him how to wear it. Soon, Brady was situated, blue hat on his head, and they were off. Sharon had also brought her camera to get some pictures. "This is nice," she said as they walked. It was quiet where they were, the sound of the waves crashing really the only thing they could hear.

"It is," Andy agreed. "I've always loved the ocean.

"Well, while he's awake, let me get a few pictures," Sharon said. Andy nodded, and she took some. An older couple happened to walk by and offered to take a picture of the three of them. "Oh, it's fine," Sharon waved them off.

"Come on, Sharon," Andy encouraged. "It's a nice day for a picture. We can frame it for his room."

Sharon nodded at that suggestion, and the couple took a few pictures, commenting on what a nice family they seemed to be. Sharon and Andy both just nodded, thanking them for the pictures. They continued to walk.

"So, the furniture comes on Saturday morning. I'm going to put it together on Saturday then. I'm not working this coming weekend. Do you think I could keep Brady Saturday night?" Andy turned to get a read on Sharon and saw the panic on her face. He also saw her take a deep breath.

"I want you to know I am really okay with you keeping him. I'm just having trouble letting go," she admitted. Andy nodded, and he let her continue. "Yes, you can keep him Saturday night. I know it's best to start this now before I go back to work. It's still hard."

He nodded, nudging her with his arm. She looked up to him, "I see what an amazing mom you are with just how much you don't want to let him go, but I promise, I'll guard him with my life. You deserve a break too. I know you've been going 24/7 since he's arrived, probably before that too. Do something fun. He and I will have a guy night in."

Sharon chuckled, "Well, I do need to get a couple new suits for work," she admitted. She cleared her throat on purpose, a small smile on her lips, "Someone, who shall remain nameless, has caused my figure to shift. It's not budging, and neither are my clothes," she rolled her eyes. "I can't fit back into my normal suits, most of them," she sighed.

"Ahh," he sighed. "Sorry about that."

"Well, it is sad, but I'm not sorry," she shrugged. She looked to Brady, "I'll keep him even with the problems he's caused. I forgive him."

Andy chuckled, patting Brady's back, "Kid, if she throws you out for altering her wardrobe, as of Saturday, you have a home with me." He winked to Sharon, and they continued to walk, now heading back toward Andy's car. "Well, you need suits; Brady needs some guy time, so this sounds like a win for everyone."

Sharon chuckled, "Everyone, except the suit salesman, whose head I'm sure I'll bite off for being on edge at leaving Brady." Andy grinned, and they finished their walk.

Once they got back into the car, Andy started toward Sharon's condo. When they arrived, he helped her carry up Brady, along with the diapers, formula, and clothing he'd bought for her house. He had a similar stock of the same items going to his house, diapers and formula, as well as a few clothing items. They both agreed it would be easier to keep clothing at both homes, rather than to try and pack a bag for him each time he changed locations. Before he left, Andy fed Brady another bottle while Sharon put the things away. Finally, he started to the door.

"Thank you for today," Sharon told him. "I'm glad we got everything you need."

"Me too. I had a great day. You and Brady are above average company," he teased. Sharon closed her eyes in a slight chuckle. "So, I'll see you Wednesday and then Saturday?" They had talked on the way home, shifting their days this week since Brady was going to stay with Andy on Saturday.

"Sounds good," Sharon nodded. "Have a good evening."

Instinctively, Andy leaned in and gave Sharon a quick hug from the side, "I'll call you later."

"Looking forward to it," Sharon smiled. She closed the door and thought forward to the week. She was dreading the idea of Saturday night without Brady already. Sharing him wasn't going to be easy.


	21. Chapter 21

"Provenza's helping you tonight?" Sharon asked as Andy answered the door. It was Saturday afternoon, and as much as she hated it, Sharon was going to leave Brady with Andy for the night. He'd called her just after 10:00 to tell her Brady's furniture had been delivered, and that most of it was already assembled. He was going to put the crib together and told Sharon she could come by after lunch. Now, here it was 2:00; she knew it wasn't Andy's fault she was having trouble letting go of Brady, and she didn't want to punish Andy. As hard as it was, she'd gotten all Brady's things together, thing she and Andy were swapping back and forth, and now, here she was. Sharon had seen another car in the driveway, and she had a suspicion at to its owner, now confirmed when Andy opened the door. Provenza was visible, sprawled on the couch, complete with a crumbled bag of chips.

Andy rolled his eyes, with a nod of the head toward Provenza, "Guy won't leave. Said he stopped over to 'help' with the crib, and as you can see," he gestured, "he's still here. Honestly," Andy lowered his voice and leaned in toward Sharon to whisper, "I think he wants to meet Brady."

"I see," Sharon said, somewhat amused, still in the doorway. Andy reached over to help her, taking Brady off her shoulder and gestured for Sharon to come in.

"Come in," he said. "I told you that you don't have to knock."

"Well," she shrugged, "it's not my house."

"Yeah, but it is Brady's house too," he pointed out, "so, don't knock." He winked at her, as he got Brady situated, holding him upright on his shoulder. He gestured for Sharon to give him the diaper bag and bouncy seat she had in her hand.

"I'll just put these here," she put them down instead of having to give Andy more to carry. Provenza remained silent as he watched the whole interaction. Finally, with Sharon and Brady in the house and the bags out of the way, Andy and Sharon turned toward Provenza.

"What?" Andy asked an inquisitive Provenza.

"Just checking to see if he's real or some doll you two are pretending is a kid, you know, kind of like they do sometimes in those high school health classes," Provenza commented.

"He's real!" Andy exclaimed, getting irritated with his friend. "See," he moved toward Provenza, Brady holding his head up a bit to look around.

"Hmm, he is real and bald," Provenza nodded in agreement and looked to Sharon, "Captain, may I just say how shocked I was to hear you were involved with all this," he gestured and grimaced at Andy.

Sharon covered her mouth from laughing and tried to look away to school herself. "Good afternoon to you too, Lieutenant," she nodded after she had composed herself. "I can assure you he's real."

"Well, Captain, with you, there's no telling. What you can tell me is how, if you are apparently off on a couple month vacation right now, how did you manage to snag our crime scene the other night?"

"A vacation!" Andy jumped in, causing Sharon to want to chuckle again. Andy had jumped on Provenza's comment before she could even think of a proper response. "It's not a vacation! She had a baby. In fact, do stay all evening, Provenza. You can help feed him and stuff. It takes a lot of work to take care of a newborn, not to mention in all that, she got two kids off to college. Vacation," he mumbled, shaking his head. He was still standing, rubbing his hand over Brady's back, and Brady was busy looking around.

"Yes, I wish this so-called vacation involved a better wardrobe, Lieutenant. Did Andy tell you I'm off to buy new suits for work this afternoon? Hmm, some vacation. Most vacations require fun clothing-dresses swimsuits, resort stuff, you know," she shrugged, "not new suits because no matter what you do, things just don't fit right after three kids."

Provenza looked to Sharon, horrified, "Captain, please do not mention swimsuits in any sentence involving yourself. It's bad enough I now have to occasionally run into you when I am hanging out at Flynn's house. I don't want a visual of you in a swimsuit. That," he gestured to Brady, "is enough of a visual reminder of just how well Flynn knows you. I don't need to think about you at all, Captain, really, while I'm at Flynn's house."

"Then stop coming over!" Andy exclaimed, and once again, Sharon started to chuckle at their banter. She knew the guys were friends, and this odd banter was just comical to watch. Andy turned back to Sharon, now ignoring Provenza and trying to calm himself, "So, what's he been up to today, anything exciting?"

Sharon's smile grew wider than it had been as she'd laughed at Andy and Provenza, "He's holding his head up really well."

"Oh yeah?" Andy grinned. "He looked good in the video you sent me last night."

Sharon nodded, "Put him down, and he'll probably show you now."

"Are you lives so pathetic these days that you have resorted to discussing infant head motions?" Provenza grumbled.

Andy, still rubbing Brady's back, turned to Provenza, "What's really pathetic is that you are still sitting here, listening to all of this, with no intention of leaving. Plus, you know you want to hold him."

Provenza rolled his eyes, but he didn't say anything. Instead, Sharon pulled a blanket from the back of Andy's recliner and put it on the floor, spreading it out for Brady. Andy saw her do this and put the baby on his stomach to show off his head lifting ability.

Andy sat down on the floor next to Brady, and Sharon sat nearby on the edge of one of the arm chairs. Provenza remained on the couch, but it was clear he was interested too.

"There he goes," Andy grinned to Sharon as they watched Brady hold his head up and look around. He continued like that for a few seconds before he started to get agitated. "He is getting better at that," he nodded to Sharon.

"Yes," she agreed, "so, if you could just have him master that tonight, that would be great," she smirked. Andy chuckled at her humor. "So, what do you men have planned for the rest of the day?"

"Well, Flynn's ordering me a pizza for dinner," Provenza said, as he sat back. "We're going to watch the Dodgers play. Game starts in about an hour. By the way, the baseball room back there," he gestured down the hall, "is the one good thing that kid has going for him, Captain," Provenza nodded.

Andy rolled his eyes at Sharon, as she shook her head. She looked to Andy, only interested in a conversation with him, "So, you're all set with everything for him? Formula, diapers, sleep schedule?"

"Sharon," Andy said, and they both heard Provenza grumble at his calling her that, "I'm good. We'll be fine, well, Brady and I will. Provenza is always a problem. Guy time. We'll hang out, watch baseball, and I'll feed my older child," he flashed an annoyed look to Provenza. "I'll get everyone to bed, and it will be a good night. Promise. Go, enjoy your time. I know you haven't had a moment to catch your breath since he's been born." He smiled sweetly at her to ease some of her worry.

She nodded, "I know Brady is in good hands," she nodded, "well, and Provenza's hands," she smirked to him.

"Hey!" Provenza grumbled, "I'm great with my grandkids."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded, "but, you are terrible with him," she waved to Andy. "You two together-it's not a good combination. Please don't harm my son," she jokingly pleaded.

Andy put his hand on her shoulder as he guided her toward the door, "Now, I don't like making people leave," he turned back to Provenza and said toward Provenza, "but maybe I should get better at it," to which Sharon chuckled. "But," he continued, turning back to Sharon, "I know this is killing you, so go. Have fun, and you're welcome to check on him anytime. I'll deliver him safely to you tomorrow."

Sharon turned at the door, "Thank you," she nodded to Andy. "Lieutenant, stay out of trouble," she flashed a fake smile to Provenza, "and, remember, he's still an infant," she pointed her finger at Provenza in an almost warning. Sharon turned back to Andy with Brady in his arms, "Good-bye my sweet boy," she smiled.

"Captain, I don't need to hear whatever pet names you have for Flynn, geez," he grumbled.

Sharon and Andy's eyes met, and they both shook their heads chuckling.

Sharon leaned in to give Brady a kiss and squeezed Andy's shoulder, "Have a good evening." She left quickly before either lieutenant could see her break down. She might be off-duty, but she wanted to keep up her tough reputation, as much as she could. Andy might know she would break down, but she didn't want to give Provenza any more ammunition. So, she had a few hours to shop-it wasn't a big deal to leave Brady for a few hours, right? Oh, but it was killing her, and she wasn't even out of the driveway yet. A few hours, some sleep, and Brady would be home before she knew it.


	22. Chapter 22

"Flynn, are you sure you don't need to get the kid anything here?" Provenza asked as he threw two more bags of chips into the cart. Andy rolled his eyes and looked to Provenza.

"I'm sure. He doesn't eat anything yet; he's a baby!" Andy exclaimed. "You have kids and grandkids. How do you not know this?" Andy was agitated that Provenza kept asking about food for Brady.

"I don't remember any of this stuff," he gestured to Brady. "I wasn't really involved in this part. When Liz needed me to feed a kid, I did. I never paid attention to how old they were," Provenza grumbled.

"He drinks formula for now, nothing else. He doesn't have any teeth! Come on! I know you aren't far off from that, so know that as you lose your teeth, you'll get closer to your own liquid diet too," Andy said, clearly annoyed. "And, get those keys out of his face!" he snatched the keys Provenza was dangling in front of Brady. "He's not crying, and why would keys get him to stop anyway?"

"Babies like to look at things. He's kind of dull right now. He doesn't do much, but why should I be surprised? He's part Raydor, and she's dull too," he grumbled.

"She's not dull!" Andy exclaimed. "Would you lay off and stop calling Sharon and Brady dull. Brady's being an angel right now. He's awake, alert, and not crying. Win, win, win. This is going really well, except for you being here. Remind me again why we are at the grocery store anyways?"

"Well, I can't help it if the pizza box knocked all the beer off the counter. I had to restock, and while we are at it, you're out of chips and dip. Since I was rushed to eat my pizza so we could get over here for more beer, I'm going to need more food later. These chips will fill me up, not the stupid peanuts you threw in the cart. Now, I just need to get some ice cream to go with it," Provenza explained.

Andy rolled his eyes, "Or, here's an idea-you could go home and do all this there. Brady and I both vote for that."

"How about you and Brady go get in line so we don't have to wait so long. I'm getting ice cream. You don't have that either," Provenza said as he walked off in search of sweets.

Andy rolled his eyes again, smiling at Brady. Brady was doing a great job, and as much as Andy just wanted to hang out at home with him, he had to admit that doing normal things like going to the grocery store was part of having Brady with him, even if that meant Provenza too. The guys had settled in to watch their baseball game, and Andy had ordered a pizza. He'd gotten a little revenge on Provenza crashing on his couch for the entire day by ordering a vegetarian pizza. Andy could tune out Provenza's complaints easily, and by ordering a vegetarian pizza, he was sure there would be plenty of complaints. There had been, but Provenza had eaten the pizza anyway, just as Andy knew he would. The mishap of the night happened when Provenza tried to reach over the pizza to grab one of his beer bottles from the pack he'd brought. Andy had pulled them out of the fridge for Provenza, and somehow, the pizza box had hit them, and they had ended up on the floor. Now, they all smelled like beer, Brady included. Andy had Brady on his shoulder when this all happened, and the beer bottle shattered, covering all of them. Andy knew Brady needed a bath before he took him back to Sharon tomorrow; she'd kill him for delivering her sweet baby reeking of beer, especially from an alcoholic.

"Make room for this," Provenza slid more food at Andy. "It's cold."

"What a concept, cold ice cream!" Andy exclaimed and rolled his eyes. "Just wait your turn. I'm not moving Brady so you can put your ice cream there."

"It's cold!" Provenza tried again. "Plus, I've got chocolate sauce and cherries. I need a place to put this stuff."

"Look, we're next in line. Just put it there," he pointed to the conveyor belt. Soon, Provenza had loaded their purchases, or really Provenza's purchases since that's all it was.

"Ahhh, how sweet, looks like the grandpas have the baby out this evening!" the teenage cashier gushed as she saw the men with Brady.

"Oh, well," Andy scratched his head, "actually, he's my son."

"Gosh, sorry!" she turned red, exclaiming. "Three generations then!"

Andy burst out laughing as he turned to Provenza, at the indication Provenza would be old enough to be his father. Provenza muttered something Andy couldn't hear, and instead of correcting her, Andy just focused on Brady, offering the baby a huge smile at the blunder.

"You're buying the food, Flynn," Provenza pointed out. "We wouldn't have had to come if the beer hadn't spilled, you did put peanuts in the cart, and no one would have accused me of being your father."

"Gee, how thoughtful of you," Andy shook his head and rolled his eyes again. "Oh, I'm going to get those for Sharon," he told Provenza before he walked away and then returned.

"Flowers? What is wrong with you?" Provenza said, disgusted.

"It's just a thank you. I know this was hard to let Brady stay with me. It's just a kind gesture. I mean, she did have my kid, and I wasn't even there. They're from Brady and me," he indicated. "She might look perfectly normal, or perfectly awful if I'm asking your opinion, but the lady did have a baby two months ago and is still recovering from that. It's not a quick, easy process, especially now at her age. It takes time. Look at what she's doing this evening-buying clothes that fit because she'll probably never be able to wear what she has, no matter how much she weighs. Babies just do that to women, not that you'd ever care to notice."

"Tell me how new suits equals flower from you? Good grief, Flynn," Provenza shook his head.

A few minutes later, the three left the grocery store armed with Provenza's snack food and Andy's flowers. They made it back to Andy's house to watch the last two innings of the baseball game, a game where the Dodgers lost.

"Well, I'm going to drag myself home now. Seems you have everything somewhat under control here. The kid is still alive," Provenza nodded to Andy. "I'll check on him, though, before I leave, make sure you put him to bed properly."

"Don't wake him!" Andy exclaimed to Provenza as he followed him down the hall. Andy knew Provenza was like a giant teddy bear on the inside. He'd managed to snap a picture of him holding Brady tonight without Provenza noticing. He'd hold onto that photo for just the right moment, sometime in the future. Once Provenza ensured Brady was secure for the night, he started to the front door.

"Well, enjoy your daddy day care time," he told Andy. "You're like a babysitting service! Does the kid sleep all night, at least?"

"No! Provenza he's still an infant. He sleeps really well for his age, but he should be up around 11 or so for another bottle. He's going about four to five hours at a time. Plus, for your information, it's not babysitting if it's your own kid!" Andy explained.

"Better you than me," Provenza patted Andy's arm as he turned to leave. "Get some rest, Flynn. No excuse at work on Monday if you are tired. You volunteered to keep the sleep interrupter overnight."

"Just go, Provenza," Andy sighed. "I'm going to mop the kitchen floor again where the beer spilled. It still smells in there, and I swear I can still smell it on Brady, even after I gave him a quick bath when we got back from the store."

Andy locked up after Provenza left and set out to clean up his house. Provenza sure left a mess, and Andy knew it would be a long evening before he could go to bed. Plus, at this point, he knew Brady would be up for his bottle sooner than later. It had been a good evening, even with Provenza. Sharon had sent him two text messages, and he could tell by those she was doing okay, but certainly missing Brady. The last one he'd sent back to her, he had explained that Brady was asleep in his new crib, complete with a picture for Sharon. That had been two hours ago.

Meanwhile, Sharon was at home, trying very hard to go to bed herself. She'd cleaned the condo, something she hadn't done in a very long time. Her shopping trip had gone well, and she'd found several things for work, a couple she still wasn't sure about, but she had time to return them. So, after the shopping excursion, she'd come home to the quiet of the condo. It was too quiet. She missed Ricky's music and now, Brady's baby sounds. So, she'd cleaned everything and had done two loads of laundry. She decided on a nice, hot bath before trying to sleep. She had a book she'd wanted to read for awhile, so worst case, she'd start reading if she couldn't sleep. Once she finished her bath, she completed the rest of her nighttime routine, and pounced on her phone when she heard it alert her to a text.

She was trying to open the text message when she heard a knock at her door. Glancing at her phone, it was just after 11:00. As she moved to the door, she finally got her text message open, "There's a surprise if you answer the door," it said.

Sharon flew to the door, opened it, and found Andy there with a sleeping Brady. She glanced down, thinking there must be an emergency, but she was pleasantly surprised to see that he wasn't crying; in fact, he looked content. He was asleep, so things couldn't be that bad. She glanced to Andy, and she saw no signs of distress with him either.

"Andy?" she asked.

He smiled to her, "I got to thinking, and I knew you wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. What's the point of me keeping him overnight if you don't get any rest?"

Sharon acted on instinct and flung her arms around Andy in a tight hug, "Oh, thank you," she whispered in his ear. Andy, a bit surprised at the quick action, reacted and hugged her back.

"You're welcome, but I come with a deal in mind," he explained. Sharon raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms, almost in a joking manner. She looked like Captain Raydor now, even the little he'd seen of her at work, Andy knew that was a work stance.

"Yes?" she asked, drawing out her words.

"So, he can stay, if I can stay with him," and Andy put up his free hand in defense before Sharon could say anything. "I know you have Ricky's bed in Brady's room, and I will stay there with him. The point of all this is to let me spend time with my son, but also to give you a break. I really want him to stay at my house, but I know that it's hard for you to let go. You got almost 10 hours in today. Maybe, in time, we'll get to 24 hours," he flashed a small smile.

Sharon offered her own smile and nodded as she dropped her stance and gestured for Andy to enter. "Come in; I feel like we can come to an agreement on the deal."

"I hope so. Listen, I want you to get some well-deserved rest. I want to help with Brady, so I can stay with him tonight, get him fed when he needs it, and give you some time to sleep in. I see it as a win for everyone."

"You aren't running from your house because Provenza is still there, are you?" she quirked an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled, "No, almost. I kicked him out a couple hours ago now."

Sharon made a face, sniffing, "Why do I smell beer?" Her eyes got large, "You didn't take Brady to a bar? A baby in a bar?" she said, now horrified.

"No!" Andy exclaimed, a bit too loudly, and both checked to see if it had disturbed Brady. It hadn't. "No, you do smell beer but that's because Provenza made a huge mess at my house, knocking the whole pack onto the floor. Beer everywhere, and well," he gestured to Brady, "our son MAY still smell like beer, may," he shrugged.

Sharon bit her lip to keep from laughing, and instead she just nodded. "I just won't comment."

"Probably best you don't," Andy winked. "Now, can I put this stuff down?" he gestured to the bags on his shoulder.

"Oh, gosh! I'm sorry," she said. "Yes, let me help you," she reached for them, and Andy remembered the flowers.

"Oh, these are for you, from Brady and me. Thank you for letting me spend time with him. Hopefully, we'll get through a full night next weekend."

"You didn't have to get me flowers," Sharon smiled, "but thank you. They are very pretty. I'll just put these in water, but let me get the diaper bag."

Andy nodded, "I'll just put my overnight bag in Ricky's room, and I'll leave the munchkin in his car seat. He should be ready for his bottle soon, and I'll feed him. You see him," he gestured, "but, I need you to act like he's not here. You know he is, so go ahead and go to bed."

Sharon chuckled, as she walked toward the kitchen, "Okay, I can do that, but before I go to bed, please tell me you have a Provenza story?"

"I'll tell you as soon as I drop this off," he gestured to the bag. He walked down the hall, and Sharon put the flowers in water. Both returned to the living room, where Brady was starting to stir in his seat. Andy followed Sharon to the kitchen, where she gestured to the bottles for Andy to make up Brady's bottle. She settled herself on one of the bar stools to hear about Provenza.

"So, you'll get a laugh out of this-the high school cashier at the grocery store tonight thought Provenza was Brady's grandpa, and I was his dad," Andy grinned. Sharon covered her mouth to keep from laughing so loudly.

"You can't be serious?" she said between laughs.

"Can't make this stuff up!" he exclaimed as he laughed too. "Might be the highlight of all my Provenza stories."

"That's really funny. I'll have to find a way to use that next time he's in trouble and in my office," Sharon nodded.

"I also snuck a picture of him holding Brady. Guy loves that kid already, even though he'll never admit it. He even wanted to check on him before he left," Andy said. "Enough about Provenza, how was your evening?"

"Good," Sharon nodded as she let out a long sigh. "Rough. I missed him, but thank you so very much for coming over this evening. I am sorry this is hard for me."

"You're welcome, Sharon. I've said it before that I'm not trying to make this hard for you. I just want to spend time with our little boy too. I love him as much as you do, if that's possible," he smiled.

"I know," Sharon smiled back at him. "I didn't think it was possible because Jack was never around, but I'm getting that. I am slowly seeing that you can love him like I do. I promise I won't freak out or panic next time he's at your house."

Brady started to cry out from his seat, and Andy and Sharon moved into the living room where Andy unbuckled him and picked him up.

"Hey, Munchkin," he kissed his head. "We moved our slumber party back to mom's house," he gestured to Sharon. She picked up Brady and held him closely for a few moments while she enjoyed kissing him too.

"Oh, it's so good to see you. I missed you," she said softly. She looked back to Andy, "I'll let you feed him, and I'm going to go to bed as promised. Thank you again," she told Andy as she handed the baby back.

"Sounds good," Andy told her as he took a seat on the couch with Brady in his arms to feed him. "Do not," he pointed in jest at Sharon, "get up when he wakes up tonight for a bottle, and you are not allowed to get him first thing in the morning. You get to sleep in," he explained.

Sharon chuckled, nodding, "Thank you. I'll do my best."

"Good," he nodded. "Tomorrow, you can tell me about this shopping spree you went on, and I'll tell you a few more Provenza stories."

"Sounds like a good deal," she smiled. "Night, Andy."


	23. Chapter 23

"Well, good morning," Andy flashed a smile at Sharon as she entered the kitchen area. He and Brady appeared to be doing just fine, Andy at the stove making breakfast and Brady in his bouncy seat, watching everything.

"Good morning," Sharon smiled, going straight to Brady to play with his feet and give him a kiss. Andy had put Brady in his new pajamas; Brady was starting to outgrow everything already, and this morning he was in baseball pajamas Andy had found on their shopping trip. She turned to Andy then, "I woke up to the smell of food. Andy, you didn't have to cook." Truthfully, Sharon had awakened earlier in the morning too, around 6:00. The sound of the shower had caused her to wake, momentarily forgetting she had a house guest. As soon as she sat up, though, she remembered that Andy and Brady were at the house, and she figured Andy probably fed Brady around 5:00 and was now getting a shower. It took her quite awhile to drift back to sleep, but she had, now awake again at 8:15.

"I know I didn't," he shrugged, "but, I wanted to cook, and truthfully, I'm getting hungry myself. I'm sure you are hungry too. I'm willing to bet," he pointed to Brady, "that even he's getting hungry again. He ate right at 5:00, and well," he shrugged, "kid doesn't like to miss a meal."

Sharon smiled at that, looking to Brady who was just watching the two adults. "Well," she crossed her arms, "I could eat, that is if you have enough for both you and me?"

He turned back toward her, spatula in hand, "One question," he pointed the spatula at her. "Tell me why you feel the need to put makeup on and get dressed for the day just to come out here to talk to me in your own house? Answer that, and I'll feed you," he winked.

Sharon felt the red rise into her face. Andy had called her out on her "presentation," if there was any word to describe it. "I didn't put on-" she started to say, and Andy raised an eyebrow at her, a smirk on his face. "Fine," she said, almost sounding deflated, "I just decided to get ready for the day." She couldn't admit that Andy might run if he saw her without makeup. Sharon felt every single day of her years was showing on her face lately, and quite frankly, she wouldn't be surprised if Brady started crying at her scary, non-makeup appearance soon. It was frightening, but what woman this age didn't think that?

Andy chuckled at her admission, "Sharon, please don't ever feel you need to put on makeup in your own house, even when I'm the one here. The way I see it, we've probably got another 50 or so years to be around each other as Brady's parents, give or take. Even if we're both still kicking in 50 years, well," he shrugged again, "by then, I will be almost 100 and probably won't remember my own name, so don't ever think you need to be your idea of presentable around me."

Sharon wasn't sure how to respond. Andy had caught her by surprise. She knew most men preferred the "complete" look, and while she wasn't trying to impress him, she figured a little effort to not look like a scary woman in her own home might be appreciated. Andy didn't seem concerned at all about a casual look, and maybe in fact, preferred it. "Well, umm, okay," she told him, still a bit baffled.

"Not that your shorts and shirt don't look very nice," he gestured to her, "but you don't have to go out of your way on a Sunday morning if you don't want to. See," he gestured to himself, "gym shorts and LAPD t-shirt, the epitome of style," he winked and turned back to the stove. Sharon just chuckled as she sat down on one of her barstools.

"Well, now that we've cleared that up," she continued to smile at Brady as she spoke to Andy, "what's for breakfast?"

"The chef has chosen to prepare scrambled eggs and fruit, mainly because the chef has no idea what you like for breakfast," he said without turning toward her. Sharon smiled at his light attitude this morning; he was in a good mood.

"My compliments to the chef, then, although, I reserve further comments until I actually eat the breakfast, but I do like scrambled eggs. I also like hard boiled and over easy eggs. Omelets, I'm not a huge fan," she added.

"Good to know," Andy raised one finger in acknowledgement as he continued to work on breakfast.

"What about you?" she asked.

"Anything but poached," he said. "I hate poached. I am sort of glad to hear you say that about omelets. I'm not a huge fan myself. My ex-wife was, but I don't really like mixing meat and veggies with my eggs-of course, in general, not a meat fan anyway. Seems wrong to just mix all that. General breakfast, I love oatmeal, and while it's not very healthy, pancakes and waffles. I've even found some vegetarian bacon, or whatever they want to call it, that is pretty good."

"Interesting," Sharon smiled. "All good information."

"I hope you don't mind I took a shower this morning," Andy said casually to her, not really asking, but hoping it was okay. "I woke up with a slight headache, and the shower helped.

"Not at all," Sharon nodded. "When you are here, help yourself to whatever you need. I really don't mind. As you said, we're going to be around each other quite a lot over the next few decades, so it's fine, really."

Brady started to squirm, almost on cue with the talk of food. "What's up, Munchkin? Getting hungry just listening to Mom and Dad talk about food, huh?" he looked over to the baby and smiled. Sharon stood to make his bottle.

"Brady, we need to work on your timing. I must say it's the worst right now. Our food is ready, and you're hungry too," Andy joked with the baby.

"I'll feed him," Sharon smiled. "You're hungry; go ahead and eat," she encouraged.

The three spent time eating breakfast, talking about the day and the rest of the week. Sharon told Andy she would go to Mass later in the day, so there was no rush for him to run off. He finally left after he put Brady down for his nap, close to lunch, and the two agreed to get together during the week again with Brady.

The next week and a half passed rather quickly, Sharon and Andy getting into a routine of sharing Brady. Sharon was going to start back to work on a Friday, which was a good way to jump back into things. Brady hadn't stayed overnight at Andy's since he really hadn't, but that was only because Andy had been stuck at work. So, they had decided that with Brady in day care on this first Friday, Andy would pick him up after work, take him home for the weekend, and return him to Sharon's after she went to morning Mass on Sunday. That way, each would have some time with him for the weekend. Before they got to Friday evening, though, Sharon had to get through her first day back at work, and her first day with Brady in day care. Andy was waiting outside the day care when she arrived; both had been asked to come the first day for their "orientation" to the place.

"Hi," Sharon flashed a smile to Andy as she stepped off the elevator with Brady. She was a little surprised he was here already; she thought she might have to text him she was in the building, and that made her wonder how long he'd been waiting.

"Morning," he smiled brightly at her and looked to Brady, "Hey, Munchkin," as he offered to take the car seat. Sharon nodded her appreciation as he took the handle. She shifted her purse and diaper bag as Andy opened the door to the day care. "That's one of the new suits you showed me, right?" he said.

Sharon looked over at him with surprise, "Yes, I'm impressed you noticed. I showed you what six or seven of them?" she chuckled. After she'd bought her suits and Andy had stayed overnight with Brady, the next morning after breakfast, he'd asked to see what she'd bought. She hadn't tried them on, but she'd shown him the different things she'd found.

"Looks nice," he added, and before he could say anything more, Sharon stepped up to the counter. She quickly nodded her thanks to Andy, but turned to the desk clerk.

"Hi, I'm Captain Sharon Raydor, FID. This is our first day," she gestured to Brady and Andy behind her and continued. "This is Lieutenant Andy Flynn, Robbery/Homicide, and this little guy," she smiled to the baby, "is Brady Flynn."

Andy's eyes rose in surprise. He didn't know Sharon had changed Brady's last name. The birth certificate issue she'd mentioned a couple weeks ago, he knew about that, and he'd signed some paperwork for it. This was all new to him. He looked up, trying to hide his surprise for the moment, and he tried to catch Sharon's eye. She was busy listening to the instructions. He knew she'd come by last week to drop off the last of the paperwork; that much had been done, and the rest, now, he'd have to ask her when they finished here.

"Andy," Sharon called out his name, and he snapped his head up to meet her gaze. She was giving him an odd look, almost wondering if he was okay. He nodded to her as he started to follow her. "Janet here was explaining the check in and check out procedure each day. He'll have a storage area here for his stuff," she gestured to the open closet space they were now standing near, and he nodded. He put Brady down and started to unbuckle him, and finally lifted him from the car seat.

"Have a great day, Munchkin," he kissed his head. He passed him off to Sharon, where she did the same thing, quickly. Andy knew she had to act fast; he figured she was close to crying. Yes, she had told him she was glad to come back to work, but he knew it was going to be hard for her to leave him with anyone. They got the last of their instruction before they left the day care, Andy holding the door for Sharon as they left. Soon, they were standing in front of the elevators, both needing to go to work.

"So, you changed his name?" Andy asked casually. He figured this might be one way to distract Sharon from leaving Brady in day care. He was also quite curious.

She smiled, "Yes, I did, I am," she corrected herself. "It looks like it has to be approved before the judge, well, to be officially changed on his birth certificate, but that shouldn't be a problem. I have two friends who are judges in the family court area. Look, I was never against him having his dad's last name; I just didn't know it, Andy. I might have reservation if you weren't around or wanting to be involved, but the fact is you are, and he is your son. I hate that my kids have different last names, but that is the way it is. Life isn't always easy or predictable. And, as much as I like Raydor, a name I've built for myself with its own reputation, it's still a name that came from Jack. Brady has nothing to do with Jack. You shouldn't have to explain your son. If anything, I look like some modern woman with her principles to keep her own name," she grinned.

"Wow, okay," he nodded. "Thank you. I know that wasn't an easy decision, and you could have talked to me about it. So, court, huh? I'll be there. I'm not denying he's my kid; I'll scream it from the rooftops," he smiled.

"I know," Sharon nodded. "That, I can tell, and as hard as the decision was, I wanted to make it for me, not for what anyone, even you, might say to influence me. "When I turned in the paperwork last week, I had them change things here. It was fine to do that here even with the current birth certificate."

"Okay," Andy smiled. "Thank you. Now, would you like to meet me down here at the end of the day to say good-bye to him before I take him home?"

"I'd love that," Sharon smiled brightly. "Just send me a text when you are ready to leave, or call. I'm planning to stay late tonight. Word has it I have a mountain of paperwork."

"Have a good day then," he nodded to her as the elevator arrived. "You take this one; I'll take the stairs. Be safe, Sharon," he nodded.

"You too, Andy," she smiled and disappeared to start her first day back.

The day passed rather quickly, and at 5:30, Andy said it wouldn't be too much longer. He promised to update her when he was ready to leave. At 6:00, she had a knock at her door, and she looked up to find Andy standing there with Brady and a bag of food.

"So, don't get mad," he smiled as she gestured for them to enter. "I promised that we'd meet up so you could say bye to him, but then I had an idea to have dinner first," he gestured with the bags. "Knowing what I do about you now, I figured you would stay here so late working that you'd skip dinner, go home, eventually get to bed, and then you'd wake up tomorrow missing Brady and hungry." Sharon started to laugh, as she hung her head; Andy was right on all points. "So, I ran across the street to the Chinese takeout and even though I wasn't sure what you liked, I took a guess with this. I figured it had to be better than no dinner, and this way, you get to ask Brady about his first day while we eat. Then, I'll take him home."

Sharon finally looked up from laughing, meeting Andy's eye, "Thank you. This will be great, but I feel like you are always feeding me."

He shrugged, "Hey, feeding you, feeding Brady-you are both needy people," he winked. Sharon started to laugh again, as she gestured for the car seat.

"Can I please see him?" she asked, and after he passed Brady to her, she quickly removed him, kissing him all over.

"They said he had a great day. Munchkin is so little he just loves anyone who feeds him and provides him with a place to nap. So, he's off to a great start. The bigger question should be directed to you about your day," Andy pointed out.

"I had a good day," Sharon smiled, as Andy put the food out to share. "It was busy, which probably was for the best. As much as I hate to admit it, I was glad to get back to work. I have to figure out this new normal."

"Good," Andy nodded. "I told Provenza he had to behave today. All it took was me telling him you were back at work and ready for a good idiot of the day type story to send someone off to sensitivity training. I don't think he will be a problem for you," he winked.

Sharon chuckled as she ate her food. "That's good to hear. Did you tell him Brady was in the building?"

He flashed a smiled, "Of course. He told me I should bring him by to meet the team. No one knows about this," he gestured between himself and Sharon, "and, I'll keep it quiet. Brady's not going to say anything."

"Thank you," Sharon nodded. "I figure it will be out eventually, but for now, you're new here, and well, it's better for your career if they don't give you a hard time for knowing me."

"Hey, I can take it," he nodded. "Dinner okay?"

"It's perfect. Really, thank you," she nodded. "I'm stuffed now."

"Glad to hear that. Can't have your mom there, Brady, passing out from starvation. In fact, Sharon, why don't you take the leftovers home with you?"

"Oh, that's okay, really," she waved her hands at him to almost pass the food off to him.

"I insist," Andy stood, gathering everything. "Plus, I've got enough to carry with Brady and the diaper bag. We're going to get out of your hair so you can get some work done."

"Thanks again for dinner. Can I call later to check on him?" she asked, almost biting her lip to wait for the answer.

"Anytime," he nodded. "I'll always answer. Don't work too long," he nodded to her stack. Sharon stood and walked them to the door, pausing to kiss Brady again. After they left, she stood in her doorway, already missing the guys. The guys? Since when did she miss guys, plural? Her new normal, work, day care, Brady at Andy's house overnight. It wasn't easy, but she was pushing through. She and Andy would work out a system for weekends, a system that now, would allow both to see Brady for parts of the weekend. It was the new normal, as apparently was her missing the guys…


	24. Chapter 24

September seemed to pass by quickly, and before they knew it, October was upon them. Sharon was settling back into work, and Brady was getting used to day care. The weekends consisted of a juggling schedule, Brady with Andy or Brady with Sharon. The juggling had even happened a few times during the week over the last month, Brady had gone home with the parent who didn't have to stay late-easy and simple, sort of. It hadn't been easy on Sharon, but seeing that Andy was a really good dad made it much easier. Now that it was October, Sharon was hoping to visit Ricky. She wanted to visit both kids, but she had plans to see Emily's production right after Thanksgiving, so a trip before that was probably not going to happen. She hated waiting that long, but with a busy job, two kids in college, and an infant at home, she was doing her best. So, now that it was October, she was planning to talk to Andy about taking Brady with her to visit Ricky. She'd looked at her work schedule and was planning to travel to Stanford the weekened before Halloween,as long as Andy was okay with sending Brady off with her for the weekend.

"Hi," she said into her work phone after Andy picked up his two floors below. It was just after 5:00, and both had been busy with their respective cases all day. "I was calling to see about Brady. I'm going to be able to get out of here in another half hour."

"Ahh, same here," Andy told her, as he shuffled some paperwork at his desk.

"Oh, okay," Sharon said a bit surprised. The last text message she'd gotten from Andy, he said he expected to work until much later.

"Yeah, our guy ended up confessing, so we're done early. If you need to work, I can get Brady," he said.

"No," she shook her head, not that he could see it, "I'm fine for tonight. I'll get him."

"Would you like to get some dinner?" Andy asked without thinking. Sharon pulled the phone back from her ear like she could see Andy through it. She didn't know why that sounded like the craziest thing she had ever heard, but it did now. They had been sharing Brady just fine, and they'd even had a few meals together at work, the condo, or Andy's house, but they hadn't gotten dinner after work.

"Ahh, you mean like a restaurant?" she asked.

She heard Andy start to chuckle on his end, "Yeah, Sharon, that's normally what people do when they are hungry and worked a long day. I just figured we could eat, and I could see Brady a little before you take him home."

"Well, that would be fine," Sharon added. "So, do you want me to get Brady?"

Andy was still chuckling at Sharon's comments. He could tell that he'd flustered her, and honestly, he didn't mind. He enjoyed spending time with her, and of course with Brady, and for some reason, it surprised Sharon that he'd want to be around her at all. "Why don't you get Brady. I'll try to meet you there, but if I'm not there when you get him, why don't you just stop by my floor."

"Your floor? Your team is on your floor," Sharon stated, as if Andy didn't know the obvious.

"Yeah, but they are mostly gone," he added. "Provenza is still here, and he'd love to see Brady."

"Okay," Sharon said, still a bit hesitant. They weren't hiding Brady from people, but they also weren't flaunting to the LAPD that they, together, were his parents.

A half hour later, Sharon left the day care with Brady, noting Andy wasn't there to meet her. He'd made it sound like he would still be at his desk, so she took the elevator down a floor to Robbery/Homicide to find him. She knew where he worked; she had to come to this floor on occasion, but since she'd officially been back at work, she'd tried to avoid coming to his office area.

"Hello, Lieutenant," Sharon gave a curt smile to Provenza when she rounded the corner to the team area. Provenza was at his desk working on paperwork. He looked up at the greeting.

"Captain," he nodded, and then his eyes grew wide at the sight of the car seat. He moved some paperwork to make room on his desk, "Captain, why don't you put the baby here," he indicated to the now empty space. "If you're looking for Flynn," he gestured to the room, "he just walked down the hallway to the copy machine. You can go find him. I'll watch the baby."

Sharon tried to hold back her smile as she deposited Brady in his car seat on Provenza's desk. Andy had told Sharon stories of Provenza's desk, and she knew it was a big deal if he was inviting Brady to share its space. Provenza didn't share his desk space with anyone. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I will. He's in a very good mood right now. Be careful, though," she pointed to Brady, "he's putting anything he can in his mouth. I think he's about to cut a tooth already; he's been drooling like crazy, and well, that's probably partly why he's putting everything in his mouth. Don't give him anything to play with or anything like keys," she explained.

Provenza nodded, holding up his hand, "Will do, Captain. I'll let him play with this toy thing you have attached to the handle. Wait, oh, it's a toy baby baseball," he smiled. "Flynn?"

Sharon hummed, "Yes, he found that somewhere. I swear I feel like he is more excited than Brady is about that thing." Sharon nodded to him again and walked down the hall in search of Andy. She didn't have to walk far because he was headed back to his desk from the copy machine. He didn't notice Sharon right away because he was looking at whatever he'd copied, but as she got closer, he looked up, hearing her heels on the floor.

"Hey," a big grin lit up his face. "I knew the heels had to be you. No one in here ever sounds like that," he grinned again. "Did you get Brady yet?"

Sharon nodded, "Yes, Uncle Provenza, or wait," she lifted a finger in thought, "might he still be Grandpa? That joke might be old, but it's a classic. I can't believe you said a cashier thought he was your dad," she started to chuckle. Andy started to chuckle as well, as the two walked side by side back to Andy's desk. He looked over where Provenza now had Brady out of his seat and was holding him as he sat in his chair. He shook his head as he caught Sharon's glace. She smiled at the sight too.

"I'm almost done here," Andy told her gesturing to the empty seat near his desk. "You're welcome to sit for a few minutes while I finish. I'm just waiting on this last report to come up from a different division. The detective was walking it up now, and then I can close up this file and be done with it."

"Lieutenant Flynn," they both heard and turned toward the voice. Andy gestured for him to come to his desk, and the detective walked toward them. "Ma'am," he nodded to Sharon, and then his eyes grew wide as he registered who she was. "I mean, Captain, sorry, Captain, Raydor, ahh, did we screw up something in this report?" he asked, now starting to panic.

Andy waved him off, "Relax, Sanchez. She's not here about the report. We're just talking about something else. Sharon," he looked to her, "have you met Detective Julio Sanchez? Sanchez, obviously this is Captain Raydor."

"Nice to meet you, Detective," Sharon nodded. "I'm happy to say that I've not seen your name come across my desk."

"No, Ma'am, and hopefully it never will," Julio grinned.

"Others in this office, who shall remain nameless, she glanced to Andy and to Provenza, cannot say the same," she nodded and sat back in her chair. Julio grinned at the comment, noting that Andy was rolling his eyes. He looked to Provenza, and his smile got bigger.

"Lieutenant, not sure if you have noticed, but you're holding a baby-in a squad room," he stated, as if Provenza wouldn't know that himself.

"Sanchez, you don't say! Man, they put the brightest detectives down there in gang intel, don't they," he grumbled and looked back at Brady, smiling.

"Captain," Provenza called to Sharon, and she turned to him, "I think your son needs a diaper change. I don't do diapers."

Sharon closed her eyes, trying not to start laughing. She nodded to Provenza, "Thank you. I'll change him when I leave. It should only be a few more minutes," she stated, but turned to Andy with it as almost a question.

"Just waiting on this report," he motioned for Julio to hand it to him. Julio turned toward Andy's desk, and he nodded to the picture on it.

"Cute kid," he said to the picture Andy had of him holding Brady. It had been taken on Sharon's balcony, one of her favorite places to take pictures. Andy liked lounging out there on her chairs with Brady on his chest, and this one had been taken a couple weeks ago.

"Thanks," Andy nodded as he filed away the paperwork. Sharon watched Julio to see if things clicked.

"Oh," Julio's eyes grew wide, as he turned back to Provenza, then glanced toward Sharon, and then back to Andy's desk where Julio studied the picture again. "Your kid?" he motioned to Sharon and Andy both. Andy played it off, as it wasn't a big deal; he didn't want to make it a big deal.

"Yup," Andy nodded again, not focused on Julio, but on the paperwork. "Provenza, why don't you do something useful and bring Brady over here."

"Anything to keep the smell away from my desk," he grumbled again as he walked over and handed Brady to Sharon. Sharon looked to Julio.

"Detective, I hope this isn't something that will spread around the department. I am a firm believer in keeping personal lives private," she stated.

"Oh, it's not a problem, Captain," he nodded. "I happened to notice the lieutenant called you by your first name, but I figured you were friends. Don't worry; I'm not a gossip. The baby is cute," he smiled as he made a face at Brady.

"Thank you," she nodded, turning to Andy. "Cute, maybe, but smelly, and as much as it pains me to admit it, I do have to agree with Provenza," she sighed. "Andy, I'm going to change him, and I'll be back."

"Fine," he waved. "I'm shutting this all down, and I'll be ready then. Sanchez, thanks for walking this report to me. I can close up the case now," he said.

"Not a problem, Sir," he said as Sharon left the room with Brady and the diaper bag. After she was gone, he continued, "Sir, I've only heard negative things about the captain, but looks like you have a nice family."

"Thanks, Sanchez," Andy nodded. "It's something like that."

An hour later, Sharon, Andy, and Brady were in the restaurant, a Greek restaurant only a few blocks from work, and they had just finished ordering. Andy remembered Sharon say she liked Greek food, and so he'd suggested it this evening. Sharon was trying to relax, but found sitting in a restaurant with Andy a bit odd. She didn't know why, but she was nervous; it was odd.

"This is nice," she said, trying to calm herself down. She could tell she was on edge.

Andy nodded, "Sharon, relax. I can tell you're worried or nervous. Is it dinner? Is this bothering you? We eat together all the time. I thought it would be nice to stop for dinner before going home. Brady is getting just a little older, so the idea of him out more isn't so bad. He's at day care all day too. Is it having Brady out, or is it being out with me?"

Sharon decided to answer some of Andy's questions, "Having Brady out doesn't bother me. I guess your invitation to eat after work threw me a little. I know we've had take-out, we even stopped to eat on the way home from Stanford back in August, but we haven't gone out to eat after work."

Andy listened and shrugged, trying to convince Sharon it wasn't a big deal, "It's dinner. Two adults, their son, and dinner," he shrugged again. "Brady's having a great time." Sharon smiled at that. Andy was holding Brady as he tried putting his small toys in his mouth. Andy's one hand was covered in drool; Brady had started to really drool about a week ago. They both kept forgetting to keep a bib on him, something they were going to have to start doing because Brady was soaking his clothing with his drool.

"Well, this is nice," Sharon said again. "As for Brady, he seems to have a great time whenever he gets anything in his mouth," she gestured to the toy he was gumming. "While we are here eating, I wanted to talk to you about the end of October."

"Oh?" Andy said.

"I'd like to visit Ricky at school. I've got time off at the end of October, and I wanted to run it by you because I'd like to take Brady with me. That would take him away for a whole weekend, and I realize we've been splitting weekends best we can."

"Sure, umm, okay," he nodded. "That should be fine. We're going to have times like that."

"I thought you could then keep him the first part of that next week as sort of a trade off from the weekend?" she suggested.

"Yeah," he nodded, looking at his calendar on his phone. "I'm on call that weekend anyway. You know how that is. That should be fine."

"Good, thank you," she nodded to Andy. "I think I'm just going to fly up there. It's a long drive with him for the weekend, and I can fly and just rent a car for the couple days. That will give me more time with Ricky. I think I'm going to take off Friday, so I'll catch a flight even Thursday night, stay there until Sunday, and I'll be home that afternoon."

"I'll drive you to the airport," Andy offered instantly. "Happy to do it."

Sharon shook her head, "You don't have to do that, Andy. I know it's an inconvenience."

"Sharon, please," he sighed. "Let me help. I'll drop you off on Thursday. I'll pick you up on Sunday. That way, you don't have to try to lug your bags, Brady, and the stroller through the parking garage. Even if I'm working Sunday, I'll just cut out to get you. It won't be a problem."

"If you're sure, okay, then," Sharon nodded. "Thank you. I have another question for you, this involving Nate."

"Nate?" Andy asked.

"Yes," Sharon nodded. "I know you said that things are strained. The two of you didn't part on the best of terms in August after he learned about Brady, but he's been at least talking to you when you call."

"Yeah, I call him every week, and thankfully, he's not hanging up on me," Andy pointed out. "It's strained, but I've told him over and over to remember I'm not perfect, not by a long shot, and that Brady is still his half-brother. He shouldn't punish him for being born."

"Right," Sharon nodded. "That brings me to my question or my idea-I'd like to invite Nate to go out to eat with us when I'm up at Stanford. I think it would be good for all of us. I don't know him very well, and I'd like to get to know him better. He's going to be in Brady's life from now on, at least I hope. I think it would be good for Nate and Ricky too. I know they pass each other in the dorm some, but otherwise, they don't run in the same social circles. I get the feeling things are awkward between them because of Brady, and I think this could help. Our families are tied together to some extent, Andy, and I'd like to work on that."

"You really are something, you know?" Andy smiled as he looked at Sharon. He could see the sparkle in her eyes; she wanted everyone to get along, at least for Brady's sake. "I am very touched you want to take my son to dinner, well, both my sons," he grinned, gesturing down to Brady too. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, and I'm sorry I can't be there myself. Please, go ahead, and if you want me to encourage Nate, I'll be happy to do so."

"Great," Sharon smiled widely. "I think that would help, yes. I also wanted to find out his favorite food to help entice him," she nodded.

Andy chuckled, "The way to a guy's heart-through is stomach. Good idea," he nodded. "He loves steak, really, red meat of any kid. While his vegetarian father isn't there, take him for red meat. You'll win him over."

"Perfect," Sharon smiled. "It's Ricky's favorite food as well. Hopefully, things will go smoothly."

"I hope so too," Andy nodded. "I know one thing," he started to say. Sharon looked at him with interest. "I know that I'm buying dinner tonight because if you are taking Ricky and Nate out for steaks, you're going to need to save up for it. If Ricky is anything like Nate, he could eat two or three steaks off any menu. Trust me-it's a good thing Brady doesn't eat yet. The three of them, someday, eating together," Andy grimaced, "it won't be a pretty sight."

Sharon covered her mouth as she laughed, "Well, thankfully, I'll just be feeding the two of them on this trip. It does have the potential to be a positive time for the boys. Hopefully, Brady and I can work on mending some fences."

"I hope so too. Man, now I really wish I could go," he sighed.

"Maybe next time?" Sharon offered without thinking. She shook her head at Andy, "Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest you come along."

"No," Andy waved his hand, "I like that idea. Maybe we could both go up there in the spring at some point. That would be fun. Brady will be a little older, and well, we both have kids to visit, so why not?"

Sharon pretended to busy herself with Brady. She surprised herself with the offer to Andy, but now that she'd said it, she couldn't deny it did sound fun. Why, oh why, was she suddenly excited about a road trip that was still potentially months away?

"Andy," Sharon said without looking up from Brady's gaze, "you don't have to buy my dinner tonight."

"I don't," he agreed, "but, I'm going to buy your dinner. End of discussion."


	25. Chapter 25

What had just happened? Sharon ran that idea through her head over and over as she sat at the gate waiting for her flight. She was a little alarmed she didn't remember really getting to her gate. Yes, she vaguely remembered checking in her bag, navigating through the security line with Brady, but it was mostly a blur. Now, her ride to the airport, that wasn't a blur, but it's also when the fog started, or rather, when she'd been dropped off curbside.

As promised, Andy had come by to pick her up for the airport. After loading up Brady, the stroller, her luggage, and her carry-on diaper bag, they set out for the airport. The drive had gone well; traffic in LA wasn't too heavy. Sharon was catching the later flight north, knowing that Brady would most likely sleep for some of it. It wasn't that long of a flight either, so it still wouldn't put her in too late after getting her rental car and making her way to her standard hotel. So, with the drive to the airport going smoothly, she started to relax, and that's really where the problem started. Andy pulled up to the curb, offering first to park and help her inside. She'd declined that, holding her tongue. She knew Andy was only trying to help, be a gentleman, but she could do this on her own. He parked by her airline and quickly jumped out to help her unload. He pulled out her big suitcase, full of both her things and Brady's. Then, he setup Brady's stroller, and Sharon snapped him into it, still in his car seat. She gave Andy a moment to say good-bye to Brady, and when he stood back up and looked to her, he told her to have a good weekend.

"Enjoy yourself this weekend," he smiled to her. "I hope both my boys behave with you," he grinned at the statement. Sharon chuckled softly nodding. "Please tell Nate I said hi and wish I could see him too."

"I will," Sharon nodded. "I'll give him the card you send along too."

"Thank you," he replied. "Yeah, I put some cash in it. I know he can get cash out of the bank himself, but I still think there's something nice about your parent sending you the cash."

"I'll give it to him, Andy," Sharon tapped his hand. It was resting on the stroller handle. "It's a very sweet gesture, and I won't let him use it to buy his own steak dinner," she winked. "I spoke to Ricky, and he was going to make sure dinner on Friday evening was okay with Nate."

Andy nodded, "I sent him a text too, and I think he's good with it. He didn't say he had other plans, and I mean, come on," he shrugged, "a lovely lady is willing to buy him a steak dinner. Who would turn that down?"

Sharon pursed her lips, eyes twinkling as she decided to answer Andy, "Perhaps a vegetarian?"

Andy blushed, chuckling as he nodded, "Well, even vegetarians can have cheat days sometimes."

"I need to get going," Sharon nodded to Brady. Andy removed his hand from the stroller to give it to Sharon.

"Bye, Munchkin," he told Brady. "Be good for your mom. Bye, Sharon. I will see you here at 4:30 on Sunday."

Sharon nodded, "If anything changes with the flight, I'll let you know, and if you get caught up in a case, just tell me. I'll take a taxi home or something. Have a good weekend, Andy," and with that, Sharon leaned toward Andy to give him a hug. Andy returned it, but before Sharon pulled away, she kissed his cheek. She hadn't planned that; it seemed to just happen, but as soon as she did it, she wanted to panic. She quickly pulled away, grabbed her suitcase with one hand, the stroller with the other, and with an awkward nod, she started for the building.

That's how now, she was sitting at the gate, still a bit stunned at the turn of events. Why had she kissed him on the cheek? She seemed to just melt anytime she was around Andy, and that bothered her. Why couldn't she hold it together? Things were going well with Brady; they were sharing well, something many adults couldn't master and still acted as if they were preschoolers. They were talking and getting along, and now, she'd made it awkward. What a way to start the weekend. She needed to snap out of this now, though, or she'd completely miss her flight. That would be just like her, to daze out and miss her flight. No, that wasn't going to happen.

By some miracle, Sharon and Brady made it to San Francisco. She was ready to pat herself on the back for not leaving Brady behind either. That would have been like her too. She was still so dazed, she'd had a momentary panic attack trying to locate her suitcase, only to remember she'd checked it at the ticketing counter. Yes, she was in a daze. How was she going to apologize to Andy? She'd kissed his cheek and taken off. She realized this all seemed almost comical, especially as she stared at her sweet baby boy who was proof Sharon had done much more with Andy than kiss his cheek, but they'd agreed to put everything aside and raise him as best they could. Sharon knew that didn't involve kissing Andy on the cheek, and now, she'd made what had become a nice, comfortable situation, awkward. That was part of the problem. She'd let her guard down and gotten comfortable, which was insane because why shouldn't she be comfortable around Andy now? As he'd pointed out from almost the start, he was going to be in her life for years to come. Brady equaled Andy, not that she was complaining because she did want her son to know his father, and Andy was proving he was a great father. Oh, she just needed to get to the hotel and get some sleep.

Two hours later, she was trying to get settled in the room. Brady was still awake, but almost asleep. She was moving around the room, quietly, to get ready for bed herself. She'd had an uneventful drive down from the airport, which was just as well. She was still focused on the hug and cheek kiss. What a way to start the weekend. As she settled in bed, she checked her phone as she plugged it in to charge.

"Just wanted to see if you and Munchkin made it to the hotel okay?" she read on her text message. She'd heard it go off as she was putting Brady to bed, and she was now just getting around to checking it. She sighed, as she sat back against her pillows. Apparently, Andy wasn't going to address the hug and kiss either.

"We did," she replied, and she thought about leaving her text at that, but then, she decided it almost came off harsh, and she didn't want that at all. She continued, "He's almost asleep. The hotel had the crib I requested setup in the room. He did just fine on the flight, slept through most of it, and I fed him his bottle when we were landing. He's hopefully asleep for the night."

Sharon put her phone down, happy with the text. It had stayed light and focused on Brady, which was their focus after all. Now, it was time for her to get some sleep too. She'd sent Ricky a text from the airport that they had arrived, and she had plans to see him in the morning after his 9:00 class. He had one other class at 1:15, and they'd decided it would work well because Sharon could bring Brady back to the hotel then for his nap. Brady was starting to sleep better too; he was finally getting more sleep through the night, now sleeping from around 10:00-5:00, which suited Sharon just fine. She got up for work then anyway, so Brady's current sleep schedule was working with her schedule.

"Great, glad to hear it," Andy responded a couple minutes later. "Sleep well, Sharon and give Brady a kiss from me."

Sharon looked at her phone, horrified; Andy wanted her to give Brady a kiss? Was that to somehow reference the kiss she'd given him on the cheek earlier. It could be a completely innocent comment; he was Brady's dad, but still, she didn't know. Oh, why was this now an awkward mess?

Friday morning, Sharon and Brady were up early and down at breakfast. She knew she had plenty of time before she met Ricky, and when she did, the first thing she planned to do was feed him. She was sure that he'd be hungry, and then, he'd mentioned needing some warmer clothing, so they had plans after his afternoon class to do some shopping before they met Nate for dinner. She was looking forward to that, looking forward to getting to know Andy's son. With what she'd learned so far about Andy, she was intrigued to see if his son was like him or more like his mom. She knew Andy's ex-wife had mostly raised Nate, and yet, she was anxious to get a glimpse of the personality traits he had, or that he shared with Andy.

It was a couple hours later she put eyes on her middle child. He was hard to miss, flashing his bright smile at her as they met outside a café he'd suggested.

"Oh, Ricky!" she threw her arms around him in a huge hug. It was hitting her hard just how much she missed her son.

"Mom, it's so good to see you," he grinned, pulling back to smile at her. "Man, Brady is getting big," he grinned as he looked at him in the stroller. Sharon had sat down at a table outside to wait for Ricky, but had hoped he would be okay eating inside. It was chilly.

"He is," Sharon smiled. "Oh, look at you, all grown up," she squeezed his shoulder. "Come on; let's get you fed, and you can tell me all about your classes."

They spent over an hour together in the café eating. After Ricky had finished, Brady was ready for his next bottle, and to Sharon's delight and surprise, Ricky offered to feed him. He'd been good with the baby at home, but she didn't realize just how much Ricky seemed to miss Brady too.

"How's your roommate?" Sharon asked.

"He's fine," Ricky shrugged. "I'm not sure we'll room together next year, so I need to find someone, but he's not a problem. We get along okay, but he goes home a lot on weekends. I'm finding a group of friends through the fraternity that I've decided to join. I think I might live there next year, that is if I get through all this pledge stuff."

"Yes," Sharon smiled again. "You've been telling me all about that. Well, that would be a good group for you, and I'm sure there you'll find a good roommate. Do they have you in your own rooms?"

"Well, the upperclassmen are, but for next year, I'd have to room with someone. That's fine, though. I'm enjoying it, and the guys are pretty cool," Ricky explained as he made faces at Brady who was drinking his bottle. Sharon had to snap a couple of pictures of her boys together. It was sweet to see Ricky feeding his brother, and she knew in 25 years when Brady might get married or something, Ricky would want to deny those pictures ever existed.

"Tell me about Andy," Ricky gazed at her, an inquisitive look.

"Andy?" Sharon asked with a puzzled glance. "Things are going just fine with him," she nodded. "Actually, we are getting along well, and he's been really great with Brady."

Ricky nodded, "Yeah, sounds like it. Whenever I talk to you, it sounds like you have a well-planned weekend sharing him. I think Emily even said that you split time during the week?"

"We do," Sharon nodded as she sighed. "Ricky, when all this came out, I was going to be happy if Andy did anything."

"Oh, like give you $20 when Brady graduates from high school?" Ricky rolled his eyes, referring to Jack. Sharon returned the eye roll.

"Yes, exactly. He's been really great, though. I wasn't sure how it would be working in the same building, but it works for us. If one works late, the other gets Brady. We communicate well, and he was very supportive of my taking Brady all weekend. Things like that, the things you don't realize you must do, to share," she shrugged, "it's working for us. Usually, we both see Brady a good chunk of the week." Ricky nodded as he listened, put the bottle down, and he shifted Brady to burp him. Sharon threw him a burp cloth, "You'll really want this. He's getting bigger, and he is drooling like crazy too. I think he'll cut a tooth soon."

"Sounds like it's going better than you expected. I've noticed you two seem to spend several evenings a week together," Ricky pointed out.

Sharon just waved him off, "We're doing what's best for Brady. Right now, it's best for him to have both of us around when we can. Yes, we often have dinner so the one not keeping Brady can see him. I'd say we are in a good routine. You'll see at Thanksgiving and Christmas."

"Yeah, looking forward to that. I barely know the guy, but he does sound like he's doing a good job with the little brother. Brady, do you like your dad?" Ricky grinned at the baby. Brady offered a toothless smile back at him, causing Sharon and Ricky to chuckle.

"So, on that same note, since we are discussing all men named Flynn, tell me about Nate," Sharon inquired.

Ricky shrugged, "He's a pretty cool guy. I don't see him much. We're on different floors, but yeah, the few times I've run into him at the dining hall, we'll eat together. He thought about joining a fraternity, but he decided against it. I like him, and I guess it's good we are all going to dinner. He's asked a little about Brady, but other than seeing him briefly during move in weekend, he doesn't know him, or you for that matter, at all."

"Well, that's part of the reason for us all to go to dinner. I'm looking forward to our Raydor-Flynn dinner tonight, taking you three guys to dinner," Sharon grinned at Ricky and Brady. "Brady needs to spend time with his brothers."

Dinner with the three guys went well, but by 10:00, Sharon was exhausted and ready for bed. After her lunch with Ricky, he'd gone to his last class of the day while she'd brought Brady back to the hotel for a nap. Sharon had done some work; yes, she was on vacation, but she still had plenty to do. Once Brady was awake, Sharon picked up Ricky, and they did some shopping for his winter wardrobe. It was definitely needed. Ricky didn't have much, partly because Sharon swore Ricky had grown another foot. As they finished their shopping, Sharon and Ricky made plans for dinner. She was going to head back to the hotel to change, giving Ricky a chance to do the same and drop off all the stuff they'd bought him. She made plans to pick up Ricky and Nate in front of their dorm at 6:00. As she thought back through the evening, she realized it couldn't have gone much better.

"Mom," Ricky said as he opened the car door, "you remember Nate," he nodded to him.

Sharon was still on the street, so it wasn't time for big introductions, but she smiled warmly at him, "Hi, Nate. Yes, come on, get in," she gestured. Ricky plopped down in the front seat, leaving Nate and Brady to sit together in the backseat.

"Oh, wow," Nate said, eyes growing larger, "ahh, so this is Brady. I only briefly saw him in August."

Sharon started driving, but she answered Nate, "Yes," she nodded, "the one and only." She watched Nate through the rear-view mirror as he studied Brady. Ricky was the one to break the silence as he turned around.

"He's not as fragile as he looks," Ricky flashed a grin. "Actually, he's pretty cool. I didn't realize how much I missed the little guy until I saw him with Mom today."

Nate nodded as he continued to study Brady. Ricky gestured at the toy hanging above, and Nate moved it so Brady could reach it. "Oh wow," he said again, obviously a bit surprised at really getting to see his half-brother. "He's got a pretty strong grip."

Sharon chuckled, "That he does. One of his favorite things to grab hold of, besides my hair, is your dad's ties. Andy often forgets to take off his tie in the evening, and Brady goes right for them. Not only does he attempt to strangle Andy, he then twists the poor ties. Knowing your dad and his wardrobe, I'm sure those ties aren't cheap, and Brady can twist them into a tangled mess in a matter of seconds."

That got Nate laughing as he nodded, "I'm sure that irritates Dad to no end. You're right; he likes his ties."

Sharon shrugged, "Honestly, it doesn't bother him, but he always gets annoyed with himself that he didn't remember to take off his tie. Now, your dad told me you like steak, which is a personal favorite of Ricky's too."

"Love it," he smiled. "Thanks for taking me to dinner. I hope my dad didn't rope you into it."

"Not at all," Sharon waved him off. "Honestly, it was my idea, and you're welcome to verify that. He only asked that I give you this card," she said as she used one hand to dig in her purse. "Now, you aren't allowed to pay for your meal, no negotiation. I'm buying dinner tonight."

"She means it too," Ricky grinned as he turned around toward Nate. Nate only nodded as he took a few moments to look at the card. The rest of the ride to the restaurant passed by easily. It helped Ricky and Nate knew each other and had apparently eaten together on occasion. Sharon didn't know that and was willing to bet Andy didn't either. It seemed the boys were better friends than they'd let on.

Dinner was also a very relaxed affair. Sharon found Nate to be a very polite young man, even the type of guy she would like for Emily to find someday. Now, not that she was matchmaking; that was too weird, but he was polite and kind. He had a good sense of humor. Yes, she decided Emily needed to find a guy like Nate, a guy her own age. The Raydor family already had too many ties to the Flynns, but she couldn't help but notice Nate was a lot like Andy, even if Andy hadn't raised Nate most of his life. Sharon was probably most impressed that when it came time for Brady's bottle, Ricky offered it to Nate. A little surprised, Nate looked to Sharon for permission, and a few minutes later, he was feeding his little brother. Sharon snapped several pictures that night, some of Nate and Ricky, some of Nate and Brady, and she took several of the three of them, with plans to send the pictures to Andy later. After eating, the guys pointed out some spots as they drove around, and finally Sharon dropped them off by the dorm around 9:00. They had plans later that evening to meet up with their own friends, but before that, Sharon got a chance to invite Nate out with them again. She'd had a moment to check with Ricky; she didn't want to invite Nate if Ricky wanted time alone, but even he agreed they had all had a good time. So, they planned to meet for brunch on Sunday. Sharon and Ricky were going to spend all of Saturday together, with of course, Brady. Sunday, she'd take the guys for food. Yes, her hotel had breakfast, but she had a feeling the guys would prefer to sleep in a little, so they'd set plans for brunch at 10:30. That would give her time to eat with them before going to the airport.

Now, here it was, 10:00, and she was getting ready for bed. Brady was passed out in his crib, and she smiled at the sleeping baby when she checked on him. She got comfortable in the bed as she dug out her phone to send all the pictures to Andy. She hadn't spoken to him all day; she'd only gotten a text in the middle of the afternoon from him, wishing her well with dinner, so she didn't know if he had a case. She sent all the pictures, along with a quick summary of the evening. Satisfied with that, she turned off her light and plugged in her phone. She heard it go off and quickly grabbed it; Sharon had the volume down so it wouldn't wake Brady.

"Andy?" she questioned as she answered the phone. "Everything okay?"

"Hey!" she heard him said happily. "I just got your pictures, and I wanted to reply, but I thought it would be easier to just give you a quick call. Is this a bad time?"

"No," she settled back against her pillows. "I'm just heading to bed. It's fine. In fact, the evening went well."

"Oh, that's great to hear, Sharon. Looks like the boys had a nice time together. Thank you for that. Nate sent me a picture earlier either you or Ricky must have taken. He was feeding Brady," Andy explained. "As I said, I was going to just text you back, but we caught a case a couple hours ago. Your pictures came in as I was pulling into my parking place back here at work. I'm just on my way in finally from the crime scene. I'm riding up in the elevator now, so I just have a few minutes."

"Well, thanks for checking in," Sharon told him. "Brady is doing just fine. He's sleeping away. I think he loved spending the evening with his brothers. I almost had to fight for any time with him myself."

"I can't wait to hear about the trip, Sharon. I need to go. Provenza's here with me, and while he's grumbling as I talk, I know he'd want to tell you he misses Brady too."

Sharon started to laugh and then covered her mouth as to not wake Brady, "Well, tell Provenza he can see Brady on Monday."

"Who do you think already has a date on my couch for Monday evening? Provenza's already told me he's coming over to watch Monday Night Football, which isn't even his favorite sport, but yeah, I think he misses Munchkin too," Andy said.

"Well, Brady is being well cared for here. Go, solve your case. If you're still going Sunday afternoon, just let me know. I really don't mind taking a cab," she told him.

"Nonsense," Andy replied. "I'll see you Sunday."

Andy didn't break his promise; he was waiting for Sharon at the security checkpoint, which took her a bit by surprise. As she walked toward him, Sharon continued to remind herself NOT to hug and kiss his cheek. It was more of a struggle than she'd imagined.

"Hi," Sharon smiled at him as she walked up to him with the stroller. "This is quite the surprise. I thought I'd meet you curbside."

Andy shrugged, "I decided to come inside and help with the luggage. Plus, it gave me a chance to see Munchkin a few minutes earlier. Besides, when we get loaded in the car, I have to drive, and I can pick up Brady. You mind?" he gestured to Brady, asking if he could pick him up. Sharon just smiled even more, nodding, and soon, Andy had Brady unstrapped and was walking with him in his arms. Sharon pushed the stroller beside them.

"Hey Munchkin," he kissed his forehead. "Did you have fun with your brothers?"

"I'm at the baggage claim over there," Sharon nodded, and they started to walk in comfortable silence. "Oh, notice Brady is getting a little bit of hair. I'm also pretty sure that tooth is about to cut in the next week or so."

Andy grinned as he put his finger up to Brady's mouth, nodding, "Yeah, feels that way. Maybe by Christmas, we'll be singing the song, 'All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth,' right?" he teased. Sharon chuckled, nodding. Andy continued to rub Brady's back and head as Sharon waited for her bag. When she saw it, Andy passed Brady to her to grab the bag. They switched back so Andy could continue to hold Brady on the way to his car.

"How did he do on the plane this time?" Andy asked.

"Not as well, but he wasn't a problem. He only slept about 20 minutes. He wasn't hungry on the way down either. I think his ears bothered him a bit, but he did okay. He was an angel on the way there, and really, he's a great traveler all around."

"That's great to hear," Andy smiled. "Good job, Munchkin."

"How is your case?" Sharon asked.

"We're almost done. We've got the guy, but when I left, they were working on getting him to crack. Not sure if he will, but I'll get you two dropped off and head back to work. I know we'd talked about me taking Brady home tonight, but-" he trailed off. Sharon just shook her head.

"It's no problem, Andy. You can take him home tomorrow and as much as you like this week. I don't mind, and I know he must be missing you too," Sharon nodded.

"Thanks, Sharon," he said, noticing she had the diaper bag on her shoulder, was pushing the stroller with one hand, and pulling her bag with the other. "Sharon, give me that bag," he gestured to her rolling suitcase.

"I've got it," she waved him off. She didn't get to argue anything else because she felt Andy grab the diaper bag from her shoulder. She looked up to roll her eyes at him, "Thank you, but I could have carried it."

"I know," he shrugged. "I'm just helping," he nodded as he squeezed her shoulder. "Come on; let's get you two home, so I can get back to work. Maybe next weekend we can sit down and look at the holidays. They are coming up soon, and we need to figure out our game plan to share Brady over the next couple months.


	26. Chapter 26

"Andy, I just don't know how I can make this all happen!" Sharon exclaimed. She was frustrated; she had been frustrated, and Andy was getting the brunt of it, not that it bothered him, but he was getting an earful. No, he wasn't the one in trouble; he was just on the receiving end of Sharon's rant. It was Thanksgiving weekend now; Brady was five and a half months old, and Brady had just completed his first Thanksgiving, complete with a turkey bib and all. It was probably a good thing Brady wasn't eating a lot of food yet. He'd spent the earlier part of the day at Sharon's house with Emily and Ricky, and then, per their agreement, Sharon had driven Brady to Andy's house where Brady would spend the rest of Thanksgiving with Andy, Nicole and Nate. It should have just been the four of them, but somehow, hours later, Sharon was still at Andy's house, still very much part of the Flynn Thanksgiving too.

"Sharon," Andy tried to say her name to make a suggestion, but she was still very much working through her rant.

"I mean, I can't be in two places at once! I am not missing Emily's performance. She's a senior, and she has this one and the one in the spring; that's it. After that, she graduates, and hopefully she goes to New York where she wants to dance. I also need to get Ricky from school, and I realize that I could just tell him to get on a plane, but that's not fair either, nor what I want to do. I haven't even factored Brady into all this. You can't possibly keep him all this time while I run around Arizona and California!" she sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"Sharon," Andy tried again, as he gave Brady another spoonful of the peas he was eating. They'd started him on some baby food a week or so ago when he was going through one of his little growth spurts. He seemed to like peas just fine, but he wasn't a fan of the carrots. Andy was still watching Sharon, that is until they both heard Brady start to smack his hand on his tray, wanting more food. While Andy hadn't been able to snap Sharon out of her rant, Brady seemed to do so. Both turned when Brady added some of his baby babble to his demands.

Andy met her gaze as she turned, and he offered a small smile. "Sharon," he tried for the third time, but he knew he now had her attention, so he continued, "why don't you let me help?"

"Wait, what? Andy, you can't possibly help with this. I'm not sure how you can help with Brady in this mess," she sighed.

Andy fed Brady his bite and then turned his head back toward Sharon, "Why don't you sit for a second," he gestured to the chair across from him where Brady would then be in between them as he sat in his high chair. Andy was trying hard not to laugh at Sharon's flustered state. It wasn't that he wanted to laugh at her situation, but she was just a mess, and really, the situation wasn't that bad. She just hadn't let him get in a word to help. Sharon took a deep breath and moved to the chair. Andy offered Brady's spoon to her to see if she wanted to feed him. He knew she enjoyed that, and it calmed her. She took the spoon, which would allow Andy a moment to talk.

"Sorry," Sharon offered before she gave Brady another bite. "I realize I probably chewed your head off."

"It's okay," Andy put up a hand in defense as he chuckled. "I do have a very easy solution. You go see Emily. You've been wanting to go see her all semester. I'll keep Brady, and I'll even drive up to get both boys from school." Sharon opened her mouth to protest, but he nodded his head toward her to allow him to continue. "Look, Nate finishes exams two days before Ricky, but that's not a problem. I'll drive up the day he's finishing exams, with Brady," he pointed out, "where Brady and I can stay at the hotel a couple of nights. It will give me a full day with Brady and Nate. I'm sure we can do some exploring or whatever needs to be done. Sandra mentioned Nate needed a winter wardrobe too, so maybe I'll take him out for some clothes. It will be good for all of us. He and I can spend time together, and Brady there is always a good thing. I'll have both my boys, and hopefully, Nate will see I'm not a screw-up with Brady."

"Andy, you're not a screw-up at all," Sharon said softly shaking her head. She had tried hard not to interrupt, but she felt he needed to hear that. She grew silent again as he continued to lay out the plan.

"Look, it will be great. Nate can either stay in the hotel with Brady and me or he can still stay in his dorm until all exams are over. It will be just fine. Then, as soon as Ricky is done, we'll head for home. Didn't you say he has an 8:00 exam that last day? So, he'll be done by 10:00 or so, I'm guessing? That's perfect. It will give me time to get packed up at the hotel, collect the boys' things, and we'll drive home. I'll have two babysitters to keep Brady occupied on the way home. Now, before you say that I can't possibly do this or it's too much, it's not. I can now proudly say I've known Brady more than half his life, and we will be fine on the drive up there. I'll just stop more than normal. I also have plenty of vacation days at work, Captain," he nodded to her, throwing a smirk with her rank. "You go, enjoy Emily, take your time, and relax. I know you've mentioned how much you love to watch her dance, so go do that for a few days."

Sharon sighed as she fed Brady another bite, her gaze meeting Andy's, "You don't have to pick up my son."

Andy shrugged, "I know, but I do have to collect mine, or at least Sandra or I need to do that. Now, I'm not guessing she will want to collect my other son's half-brother, but that's just me," he shrugged again in jest, "but, I'm totally good with retrieving both boys and taking Munchkin here on a road trip."

Sharon bit her lip as she looked to Andy, and then she continued that as she looked at Brady. She looked back to Andy, "You really wouldn't mind all this? I hate to ask you to drive all the way up there with Brady. He's not sleeping like he used to; he's awake a lot, so it could be a rather long ride."

Andy shrugged, "It could be, but it could also be great. I think the real question revolves around you and if you're going to be okay being away from him for what, maybe four days?"

Sharon took a deep breath and fed Brady another bite as she smiled at him, "If he's with you, I'm okay with it," she offered a small smile and shrug. "I don't think I'd be okay if he was with anyone else, but Andy, you are his dad. Thank you for all this. I've never had anyone help me before like this."

Once they worked out all the small details, Andy and Sharon moved onto other topics revolving around Christmas. Andy's house was quiet, well, except for Brady's insistence on finishing his peas. The kids had been over for a late afternoon Thanksgiving dessert with Andy. They'd had their big meal with their mom earlier in the afternoon. When Sharon had heard Andy wasn't going to have a Thanksgiving meal, she'd invited him to join her with the kids at the condo, but he'd declined since he'd already agreed to go to a buffet with Provenza. Andy really would have preferred to spend the afternoon with Sharon and her kids, but he wasn't about to back out on his best friend. So, when she'd brought Brady over to Andy's that afternoon, where Brady would get to spend time with Andy, Nicole, and Nate, she brought leftovers too. Now, as they sat at the table figuring out details and feeding Brady, Andy stood to dig out some of Sharon's leftovers. He chuckled at the conversation they'd had a couple days ago.

 _"So, what does a vegetarian eat on Thanksgiving? Do you get one of those awful vegetarian fake turkey things?" she said into the phone._

 _Andy chuckled, "Well, I have to admit that I have a weakness for turkey. I forgo my vegetarian status on Thanksgiving. I like being a vegetarian for my health; it's not that I'm opposed to meat, but it doesn't sit with me. Turkey, well, that's a pretty good option, so for very special occasions, I indulge in turkey."_

 _"Well, that's good to know. I was afraid that Brady was going to grow up telling me we could only serve salad on Thanksgiving."_

The two had a good laugh over that conversation, and now, as they sat in Andy's kitchen, still feeding Brady, Andy pulled out the leftover turkey Sharon had brought him.

"This looks really good, Sharon," he lifted the plate and smelled the turkey. "Oh, I love the smell of turkey."

Sharon chuckled as she smiled at Brady, "If I would have realized how much you seem to love turkey, I would have made another turkey just for you. Sorry there aren't more leftovers. Ricky gave me a hard time for bringing anything here, not that he was upset with you, but he didn't want to let any leftovers out of his sight. If it's in the refrigerator, he'll eat it."

"Well, a special thanks then for making it out of your house alive. I appreciate the food. Are you sure you can stay here for awhile? I don't want to intrude on time with the kids."

Sharon shook her head, "I'm fine; I told you that they are in line for some electronic thing Ricky wanted for Black Friday shopping. The only time Ricky gets excited about shopping is on Black Friday where he can get these crazy deals. He dragged Emily with him, well, at least to that store. She's excited to do some regular Black Friday shopping, so the two made a deal with each other. Me, I'm fine to shop online or any other time besides tonight.

"Great. It's nice we can have a quiet evening with Brady. Want some of these leftovers? I'm going to heat up the mashed potatoes."

"Sure," Sharon smiled. "That sounds good. I am also intrigued by the apple pie you made. Is it good?"

Andy rolled his eyes at her, "Of course, it's good! I made it. I can cook and bake, you know."

"Sorry," Sharon slightly chuckled as she fed Brady his last bite of peas. "I shouldn't have assumed the worst, but I'd love a piece of the apple pie. I already had a piece of pumpkin at my house."

Andy nodded, "I didn't make pumpkin because Nicole doesn't like it, and Nate's favorite is apple. I like pumpkin, though."

"I should have brought that," Sharon shook her head. "Well, next time you bring Brady over, if there's any left, you can have some. Ricky's home, as you know, so there might not be pie for long. I made homemade whipped cream too."

"Homemade? Now, that's impressive," Andy smiled as he put the plates into the microwave to warm them up.

"It's not as hard as people think. It's actually a very easy thing to do, but most people think it's too much work. I've always made it with the kids. When this guy," she smiled at Brady as she wiped off his face, "gets bigger, I'll make it with him too." Andy put the two plates down for them to eat a late-night leftover snack. "Thank you," she nodded to him. "So, let's discuss Christmas plans."

"Okay," Andy nodded as he took a bite. Brady just sat in his high chair watching his parents. He was full from his dinner and content. He also appeared to be getting sleepy, but for now, he was happy. "I don't have set plans. I've always gotten the kids for a few hours on Christmas, much like Thanksgiving. We don't have huge traditions, but basically get together to open presents and eat."

Sharon nodded as she continued to eat, "Well, I love Christmas," she smiled up to Andy. "I love everything about Christmas, but I will share," she smiled. "On actual Christmas, we do much the same, open presents, but ours are usually in the morning. I like going to Mass on Christmas Eve and do that as long as I don't get called into work. My parents are going to fly out for Christmas. With both kids in college and now Brady, they know it's hard to get time for us to fly back East, so they've booked their tickets. They are coming in on the 22nd and leaving on the 27th. It's not a long visit, but they are getting older. I promised I would look at visiting them after the holidays."

"That will be nice," Andy told her. "I guess then that you can have Brady on Christmas Eve for Mass and keep him through the morning. I won't have the kids here until Christmas afternoon."

"Andy, why don't you come over on Christmas? It's Brady's first Christmas, and I know you want to see him. You can help him open his presents," Sharon offered.

"I don't want to intrude, Sharon. Plus, your parents will be there. I don't need to get in the middle of your family."

"You're Brady's family," she pointed out. "It will give you a chance to meet my parents."

Andy's eyebrows rose, "You want me to meet your parents?"

Sharon offered a small shrug, "Well, you probably should. You're Brady's dad, so it's probably a good idea," she smiled as both their eyes met, and they chuckled.

Andy winced, "I'm sure your dad will just love me, the guy who got his daughter pregnant. You said they know the whole story, right? So, yeah, he'll love me, the guy sleeping around on his kid's college tour."

Sharon hummed, as she looked down and then met his gaze through the hair in her face, "I wouldn't say it was exactly one-sided. I believe I was the one who initiated most of that." Sharon could feel her cheeks turning red, so she glanced at Brady to take a moment to collect her thoughts. "Andy, he's almost asleep," she said quietly. Andy nodded and stood to get Brady out of the chair. Sharon stood to help him. She kissed Brady good-night while Andy got him ready for bed. Sharon cleared the dishes while he was gone.

It took Andy almost 10 minutes to put Brady to bed, and when he came back into the kitchen, Sharon was cleaning up. "You didn't need to clean up my kitchen," he shook his head. "Thanks."

"Not a problem," she nodded. "We didn't finish before, but Andy, my parents do want to meet you. They don't think less of you, at least no less than they think of me."

Andy nodded, "If you want me to meet them, I'll meet them. How have you described all this," he gestured between them.

Sharon pursed her lips before answering, "I've told them we get along well, that you are Brady's dad, and we are working as a team to share him and raise him together."

Andy squeezed her shoulder, "Sharon, I'm happy to meet them. Maybe they can tell me stories about you as a kid," he winked. Sharon's mouth dropped open as she followed Andy. He had squeezed her shoulder and walked out of the kitchen toward his living room, where he picked up the remote to turn on the tv.

"Maybe that's not a good idea then," she nodded.

"So, now you're going back on your earlier statement?" he teased. "I can always just call them, introduce myself. I'm sure I could get their number when I pick up Ricky at school."

"You're a mean boy, Andy Flynn," Sharon pointed at him as she scowled. "I'll have to warn my parents they can't divulge any stories or I'll keep their youngest grandchild away."

Andy, not even looking at Sharon, waved her off, "You'd never do that. You are too into family to actually follow through with that."

"You're right," Sharon rolled her eyes as she sunk down in the chair, Andy's favorite chair. He was still standing with the remote looking at the television.

"You staying awhile?" he asked, eyebrows raised, and then he continued, "I don't mind at all, but if you're staying, I'll find something to watch that isn't just another game on tv."

"Oh, no," Sharon popped up, realizing that she'd gotten too comfortable. "I'll get going. Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your evening."

Andy looked around pretending like he was expecting to see a party or group of people, "Nope, no one showed for the party I planned," he smirked. "Sharon, I'd like you to stay if you want. I'm not doing anything exciting." He took two steps toward Sharon, who was still standing in front of his chair. "Go on," he gestured, "have a seat again. You didn't need to get up. Look, there's Christmas movies on all evening."

Sharon moved toward the couch, "Well, I'll just stay to finish watching the movie," she gestured at the screen. "I'm a sucker for Christmas movies. You can have your chair. I know it's your favorite," she said as she made herself comfortable on his couch.

"Nope," he shook his head, "you can have the chair. He sat on the couch too, both now staring at each other."

"Andy, I'm not taking your chair. You love feeding Brady in that chair," she explained.

"So do you," he fired back, "and, I'm not feeding him now, so I'm not taking the chair."

Sharon pursed her lips and tilted her head, "So, we're both sitting on the couch because neither of us want to claim the chair?"

"Yup," Andy nodded, as he focused on the movie. "I've offered you the chair, so it's yours for the taking. I'm going to enjoy the movie," he gestured again at the television. He could hear Sharon start to chuckle as she sat too.

They watched their movie in relative silence, the only noise being the occasional laugh. When it ended an hour later, because they'd started watching after the movie had started, Sharon stood.

"Oh, so you're taking the chair now," Andy grumbled. Sharon, without Andy seeing it, rolled her eyes. She was actually standing to get ready to leave. She turned and saw his smug look, so she moved where she was standing over him and leaned down very close to speak softly too him.

"Actually," she said, a smirk on her face, eyes sparkling as she was just a few inches from his face, "I'm going to leave. You and the chair can enjoy the rest of the evening together. I hope you and the chair are very happy and cozy together."

Sharon stayed rooted in her spot, waiting for Andy's reply. He could see the playfulness in her eyes. He made a quick decision, one he'd been wanting to pursue for a long time, well, a very long time, but more recently since their good-bye at the airport a month earlier. In a quick movement, he leaned up and pecked her on the lips, "Thanks for bringing Brady over, Sharon, and thank you again for the food. Happy Thanksgiving," he smiled and he pecked her lips again. She hadn't moved between the first kiss and the second, but after the second, she stood, surprised. She just nodded to him and collected her things. Andy stood too, following her to the door. Apparently, they weren't going to talk about this, just as they hadn't talked about her kiss at the airport. He decided to leave her with one last thought as she put on her coat. He moved quickly to help her, and as he opened the door for her, he said softly, "Sharon, part of the reason I like my chair so much is that I can smell your perfume on it. You love to feed Brady there when you stop by, and you almost always sit there when you come to pick him up. That's why I like my chair."

Sharon turned as she pulled her hair out of her coat. She hadn't said anything since she'd been teasing Andy and he'd kissed her. Yes, she realized she probably had been flirting, and while she didn't want to admit it to Andy, she rather enjoyed his kiss, okay, she really enjoyed it. For some reason, she was struggling with admitting that. Instead, she decided to convey she wasn't upset and wasn't now just trying to run out, "Happy Thanksgiving, Andy," she said as she smiled to him. "I'm glad I had some time to meet Nicole. She's lovely," Sharon continued to smile as she put her hand on Andy's wrist. "You are a good dad to all three of your kids. Enjoy tomorrow with Brady, and then I'll see you both on Saturday. Maybe I'll put up my Christmas tree then," she shrugged. "Night," she said as she leaned in again and kissed him on the cheek. Andy just smiled back at her as he held open the door. It was only after Sharon was in her car did her panic set in again. She'd kissed him again? When and how did that happen? He'd kissed her, and she'd liked it, yes. It was just a quick peck on the lips, no meaning behind it, really the result of silly teasing on both their parts. Wait, had he somewhere in there said he liked his chair because she liked to sit in it? She'd missed some of that focusing on the peck on the lips that was a silly gesture, right? Was it more than that? Did it mean more? Why was it 10:00 now? Why did she stay so late when she'd driven Brady over at 3:30? She had told the kids she expected to be home just after 5:00, and they'd waved her off saying they were heading out to get in line. Why had she accepted Andy's invite to stay and chat with his kids? She'd told herself that she'd never met Nicole, and gosh, once she started talking to Nicole, it was hard to stop. Nicole was lovely, and she loved Brady. Then, she was invited to take a walk with Andy's family and of course, with Brady in the stroller. They'd walked his neighborhood together, she and Andy taking turns with the stroller. To others, they probably looked like a family, the five of them, but it was all for Brady, right? Why was it 10:00? Wait, she'd already asked herself that. Even after all that time with Andy's kids, she'd stayed to vent to Andy. The kids had gone back to their mom's house, and she's still stayed. Andy's kids have even told them to enjoy their evening. 'Their' evening? When was it 'their' evening? She'd stayed to talk to Andy about juggling Brady throughout December, right? They had discussed that and come up with a plan, well, sort of. Now, she'd invited Andy to Christmas at the condo with her parents. She smacked her head-had she kissed Andy again as she left? Wait, she did, again! She kissed him on the cheek, even though that memory was a hazy fog. Had she talked to him about her weekend plans? Now, she couldn't remember. What was she doing? Oh, she was sitting in her car, in Andy's driveway, and she wasn't moving. She snapped out of it and glanced toward the house. Andy was on the porch, a now, concerned look on his face. She started the car and offered a quick wave to let him know she was fine and backed out. Was she fine? Clearly, she wasn't. She was freaking out about kissing her son's father, not once, not even a couple times now, but at the same time, she was almost smiling. She must be smiling because it was the holiday season now. That must be it. Yes, she'd told him about putting up her Christmas tree, and now she was in the holiday spirit. 'Tis the Season,' right?"


	27. Chapter 27

"Lieutenant Flynn," Andy answered his work phone, halfway paying attention, but halfway focused on the paperwork in front of him.

"Andy, sorry to bother you," Sharon started, and Andy stopped what he was doing to pay more attention to his phone call. It was now the first week of December, and work had been busy for both Andy and Sharon.

"No bother, Sharon," he told her, "what's up?"

"Well, the day care just called me. Brady has a fever. I think it's most likely teething, but-" she trailed off.

Andy nodded at his desk, "I get it; he can't be in day care until he's fever-free."

"Exactly," Sharon said. "So, I wanted to figure this out. I can take him home in an hour, but I have a meeting in 10 minutes."

Andy checked his watch, "That shouldn't be a problem. I'll head up there to get him for now. My captain is out right now, and he doesn't care anyway if I have Brady here for a few minutes. Right now, Provenza is here in charge, and you know he won't care."

Sharon chuckled, "Thank you. I'd really appreciate it, and as soon as I'm done with my meeting, I can get him. Ahh, is it okay if I get him from you with your team around?"

"Sure," Andy nodded, realizing that Sharon couldn't see that. He sighed. "Two of the guys are out today-one is in court, and one is sick. Provenza is here, as is Julio, you remember him, right? He's working on something with Provenza right now, so it's fine if you come by."

"Great," Sharon told him. "I'll see you soon."

When Sharon finally made her way to Robbery/Homicide just over an hour later, she was greeted with a laughing group of men.

"Gentlemen," she nodded to Provenza, Julio, and Andy. Julio and Provenza were working on something at Provenza's desk. Andy was walking around, holding Brady, most likely trying to keep him happy. "How's he doing?" she asked.

"Nice to see you again, Ma'am," Julio nodded to her. "The baby has gotten big."

"They keep feeding him, Sanchez. They've even got him growing some hair finally. It's like one of those Chia pets. Is that how it works, Flynn? Pour water on his head, and he'll grow hair?" Provenza asked.

Andy was rubbing Brady's head, and he turned to the guys, now irritated, "Oh, knock it off, would you? He's a baby! Provenza, I bet by his first birthday he has more hair than you, which wouldn't be hard!"

Sharon looked away so she didn't start to laugh, and she looked back to Andy, waiting on Brady's status.

"He's a little warm," Andy told her, feeling Brady's head again. "I agree it's probably the teeth. He doesn't seem to be irritated by the fever and no runny nose or anything, and as we've both said over the last week, he's got more teeth coming in."

Sharon nodded as she looked around the office. "I'll take him home, then," she gestured to her arm. "I've got everything to work from home, so it's not a problem."

"I can stop by later, and if you want a break, I can take him home with me," Andy offered.

"It's no trouble," Sharon waved him off. "I don't mind at all. We'll be fine at home. Maybe I'll get out the Christmas decorations I have been wanting to put up."

Andy nodded, kissing Brady's head, as he passed him to Sharon, "See, check for yourself and see what you think," he nodded to Brady, indicating for Sharon to check his temperature. "How about I stop by later with dinner? That way you can just work and focus on Brady."

"You don't have to do that," Sharon shook her head.

"Chinese or Mexican?" he flashed a smile.

"Captain, go for Chinese," Provenza called out. Sharon and Andy weren't whispering, so Provenza and Julio could hear the conversation, but neither expected Provenza to actually jump into it. "If you get Chinese, Flynn can bring the leftovers to work for me."

Andy rolled his eyes as he flashed a smile toward Sharon, "Sharon, what would you like to eat? Know that your answer is to not be influenced by my former friend," he smirked toward Provenza, "and also know that any leftovers you might have are yours to keep, not to share at work."

Sharon bit her lip as she focused on answering Andy and not laughing, "In that case, and also to avoid any friendships falling apart, I'll vote for Mexican, but really, if you want to go home after work, I don't mind."

"Mexican is always good, Ma'am," Julio flashed a grin. At that, Sharon burst out laughing.

"Good to know, Detective," she nodded to him.

"She seems to prefer Italian, Sanchez," Provenza grumbled, but Sharon's eyes grew wide as she heard part of the comment. Andy didn't even acknowledge it.

"Want me to help you get downstairs with him?" Andy asked. Sharon shook her head.

"We'll be fine. Where's his car seat?" she looked around. Andy moved toward his desk to retrieve it.

"Flynn, did you see this email?" Provenza grumbled from his desk. He was back on his computer, while Julio was finishing up the written report they'd been working on.

"Well, I don't have magical eyes, so why don't you specify which email. What is it?" he asked.

"It was just sent a couple minutes ago," Provenza pointed out.

Andy met Sharon's gaze and rolled his eyes, as he answered, "Well, seeing as how it was sent out two minutes ago, and I've been walking my son around the room, no, I haven't seen it. What's got you so annoyed?"

"This stupid holiday police benefit, that's what. Have you seen that we're being required to attend?" he said, gruffly.

"I don't know why that surprises you, Provenza. They don't do that thing every year, but when they do, we always have to attend," he said as he buckled Brady into his car seat. "Sharon, I'm sure your division has to go to those things too."

"We do, but I haven't seen the email yet either, especially if it was just sent out," she smiled. She was trying not to laugh at how irritated Provenza was about it already.

"Well, I hate these things. I don't want to take a date, but I also hate showing up alone. It was fine when I was married; I'd just make the wife go, but now, choosing which ex-wife to bring, it's a challenge."

"Please," Andy sighed. "You know you'll bring Liz. She likes coming anyway, and she knows everyone."

"How many times have you been married, Lieutenant?" Julio asked.

"Four, three wives though. I married one twice, Liz," he nodded.

"Four! Lieutenant, that's probably a record in the department," Julio grinned. "You should check."

"I did," he replied honestly. "Someone beat me out with six times. I'm not interested in that record, only the record to be the last remaining officer in my graduating class. Then, I get a trophy and money. That's the one that counts. Additional ex-wives only cost me money, and I need to be on the receiving end of the money." Provneza turned his attention to Sharon who was collecting her things, "Captain, don't worry-I won't ask you to be my date."

"Good to know, Lieutenant," Sharon smiled sweetly at him, a look Andy now knew meant she had a good comment up her sleeve. "If I do remember, the last time you did anything for charity, drugs and a dead body were involved. I don't need to be mixed up with the likes of you."

Andy turned away to keep from laughing, but it didn't work. He started to laugh, and Provenza jumped in, "Hey, Flynn was in on that too," he waved in Andy's direction.

"Hmm, true, but considering you are the senior lieutenant and that wasn't the first time you've had a similar disaster, I'm still putting the brunt of that on you. Plus, I believe as you said, you are the one with all the ex-wives. I don't need you to charm me, Lieutenant. I'm not looking to be 'Provenza Number Five' thank you."

Andy grabbed the chair, he was laughing so hard. Julio wasn't any better. Sharon really could throw lines at Provenza, so much that Provenza was speechless.

"Captain, that hurts," Provenza mocked a pain. "Just know that next time you need a babysitter, I am not your guy."

"Hmm, you're not my guy when I do need a sitter," she smiled right back at Provenza.

"Alright, let's get Brady home," Andy shook his head at Sharon. "You two could go all day."

"So, Captain, are you going to this charity thing?" Julio asked.

"Well, seeing as how I'm in charge of my division, it will be difficult to get out of it. When is it?" she asked.

Provenza, who still had the email pulled up, looked, "December 19, just a Merry Christmas to all of us," he grumbled. "Aren't we on call or something that weekend?"

"No," Andy shook his head. "We're on call the weekend before that, which is just after I get back from my trip to Stanford."

"Checking out colleges, Sir?" Julio grinned.

"Not anymore," Andy smiled back at Julio. "Brady and I are doing the freshman pick-up. I had to explain to Provenza that didn't mean picking up freshman girls," he flashed a fake smile to Provenza. Julio and Sharon laughed. "No, I'm picking up my son and Sharon's son; both are freshman, so no cars on campus."

Brady started to fuss, catching the attention of everyone. "I should go," Sharon said, picking up the baby and her stuff.

"I'll walk you out," Andy said, waving his hand, "I know you said you didn't need help, but I need a break myself, a break from Provenza," he mumbled.

"Have a good afternoon, Lieutenant, Detective," she said nodding.

"Bye, Ma'am!" Julio called out to her as she left, and then he turned to Provenza, "I caught part of their conversation, so wait, they aren't together? I'm confused, and I know I can't ask them."

"We're all confused by it, Sanchez, well, maybe everyone but Flynn. He seems to know what he wants, but the moment he says it aloud, I think I'll have to shoot him myself," Provenza pointed out.

Andy walked with Sharon to the elevator, "Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest you couldn't get downstairs by yourself. It's just that I wanted to finish a conversation."

"Oh," Sharon said, trying to smile at Brady in attempts of quieting him. He was tired and probably hungry. "What did you want to talk about now?" she tilted her head.

"Well, this police benefit," he gestured. "If we both must go, I guess we will need to find someone to watch Brady."

"Oh," Sharon's eyes grew wide, as she gestured with her free hand, "so, you are planning to take a date?"

Andy, who wasn't sure how Sharon had jumped from Brady needing a babysitter to each of them taking a date, decided to play along. He heard a change in Sharon's voice, not quite nervousness, but he had an idea, so he decided to see where the conversation went, "Oh, well, I am not sure if I'd call it a date, but yeah, I was going to take someone. You?"

"Oh, well, umm, I hadn't thought about it," Sharon explained, now fidgeting. "I mean, we only heard about this a few minutes ago, so I haven't thought through my date options yet."

Andy chuckled quietly, looked around, and when he saw no one, he leaned in a bit closer. The elevator still hadn't arrived. "Sharon," he said softly, "you can say it, or to be more specific, you can ask it."

Sharon's eyes grew wide, "Andy, wait, what?" she stammered.

"Sharon, I brought up a babysitter for Brady. You replied with my taking a date," he explained.

"Oh, well, I guess we need to talk about both," she gestured, "not that you need to run your date's name by me or anything, but I guess you are right; we need a sitter for Brady if we both have to go," she nodded.

"The kids will be home from college," Andy stated. "Between the four of them, I'm sure at least one can babysit."

"Oh, right," Sharon said, and the elevator dinged, indicating it had arrived. They loaded onto the elevator, Andy trying to not laugh. Sharon was clearly flustered. The ride down was focused on Brady, as he'd started to fuss again. Andy walked them to Sharon's car, and after Brady was loaded, he turned to her.

"I'll stop by with dinner later," he told her. Sharon nodded as she got into her car.

"Thanks for helping us to the car," she said.

"Sure," Andy nodded, stepping back so she could shut her door. As she started to do that, Andy called to her, "Sharon?"

"Hmm?" Sharon looked to him.

"Yes, I'll be happy to go with you," he winked.

"Wait, what? Andy, I didn't-" she started to speak, but she flustered her words. Instead of arguing it, she just said, "I'll check with Ricky and Emily to see if they can babysit."

"Sounds good," he grinned. "Be careful going home."

"Andy, it's not a date," she told him.

"Wouldn't dream of calling it that, Sharon," he winked and waved as she pulled out.


	28. Chapter 28

It was late, and she knew this was stupid, yet here she was. She knocked and waited.

"Sharon?" Andy questioned as he opened the door. "What's wrong? Did I forget something of Brady's?"

Sharon held up the hippo blanket, "I knew he'd want this for the trip."

"Ahh, come in," Andy extended his hand to allow Sharon to enter. "Sharon, you know we have four of those. You have two at your house, and I have two here. I've got one packed for the trip." Brady loved one particular blanket, a hippo blanket. After they had discovered his fascination for the blanket, Andy had made a special trip to the baby store where they'd found the first one to purchase three more, two for each house. It had been a good decision; Brady now had that blanket with him all the time.

Sharon looked down and took a deep breath. She fingered the blanket, loosely, not wanting to admit why she'd come.

Andy seemed to know, putting his arm around her shoulder and tucking her to his side as they walked back to Brady's room, "I know, I know," he said softly, as they continued to walk. "You haven't had to be apart from your baby boy for more than a day or so, and even then, you knew he was across town. Tomorrow, you two will be in separate states, and it's hard." Sharon nodded without speaking. She was tearing up, and yet, she couldn't let Andy see her cry about this. It was silly; Brady was going to be with Andy all weekend, and she was leaving for Phoenix in the morning. It was Tuesday evening, and by Sunday, they would all be back home, even the boys. Emily was staying in Phoenix longer because the studio where she taught ballet part-time while in school was still rehearsing for its Christmas production. She would come to LA after that had finished. Sharon was heading to Phoenix to watch the Thursday rehearsal of Emily's dancers from her job, and then she was going to watch Emily dance Friday and Saturday evening in her own production for school. It was a lot, but she was delighted to spend time with her daughter, watching her do what she loves. In the morning, Andy and Brady were headed to Stanford where Nate had one more exam in the morning, but Ricky still had exams through Friday morning. Once Ricky finished, the guys would head home, and Andy would keep an eye on Brady all weekend. Andy was on call for the weekend, which worried Sharon, but Ricky had promised to watch Brady if Andy had to work. Ricky hadn't been home in a few months, but he still was good with his little brother, even if he was going to have to learn a few things, such as feeding him and keeping a closer eye on him now that Brady was rolling over and starting to sit up.

Sharon sighed as they walked toward Brady's room, "Andy, I'm sorry. It was stupid of me to come here. I know he's just fine. Tonight, he's just spending the night with you, and then you've got him all week. I know he's perfectly fine."

"But," Andy stopped them in the hall and turned to her, his one arm still loosely at her shoulder, "he's not with you, and I get that. You miss him; he's an infant. It's going to be a long five days before you see him again. That's never easy, Sharon. Come on; he's already asleep."

Sharon chuckled, "Good because I would have been worried if he was awake at 10:15." Brady was staying with Andy tonight so that both Andy and Sharon could get on the road easily in the morning. The two already lived almost 45 minutes apart, and adding a drop-off or pick-up of Brady was silly when he could just stay with his dad, in his own crib, in his own room. Andy, who had the door mostly closed, pushed it open and followed Sharon into the room.

Sharon tiptoed over to the crib, the same crib she had at her house, and she peeked in on Brady. He was sleeping soundly. She covered her mouth to keep from laughing and motioned Andy over, "He's all over the place lately," she said quietly as she chuckled. Brady had really started to move around in the crib as he slept, and he was currently shoved up against one side. He looked uncomfortable, even though he was sleeping. Sharon gently moved him back toward the center of the crib where he had more room.

"Guarantee he'll be wedged back in that corner in another hour," Andy whispered in her ear. Sharon chuckled again, nodding. She stood there watching Brady for a few moments and only snapped out of things when Andy tapped her on the shoulder. "Come on; you can't sleep standing up here watching Brady."

Sharon nodded as she leaned over and gave Brady a kiss. She ran her hand over his head and arm before she turned to follow Andy out of the room. They didn't say anything until they walked back into the living room.

"I'm sorry again," Sharon sighed. "I just wanted to see him."

"Sharon, you don't have to apologize, nor do you have to come up with a reason to stop by to see him," Andy explained. "Would you like something to drink?"

Sharon shook her head, "I should get going. I know we both have long days tomorrow. It was just too quiet at the condo."

He nodded, "Well, I'm still packing, so you are welcome to hang out here for a bit and talk to me."

Her eyes met his, "You wouldn't mind if I stayed for a few minutes?"

"Of course not," he chuckled, "as long as you don't mind talking to me in my room while I pack." Sharon followed Andy into his room. She looked around. Yes, she'd been to Andy's house now plenty of times, but she'd never really wandered around his room. Most of the time she was here, she spent in every other area of the house, even using Brady's bathroom, never Andy's. As she looked around, she tried to decide where to sit. Almost as he was reading her mind, Andy said, "You can sit on my bed," he gestured. "Don't mind my suitcase and stuff on half the bed, though."

Sharon nodded, but she felt odd, so she decided to sit in his desk chair. When Andy had moved everything around in his house to give Brady his own room, he'd given up his office, not that he minded. He still had a guest room, but it wasn't large, and he was leaving some room in there for the kids' things. Nate had said he might spend a few days with Andy; their relationship was getting better, slowly, but it was improving. Andy had shifted his own room around to make way for his small desk, and that seemed to be a neutral place to sit.

"That chair isn't exactly comfortable," Andy pointed out after Sharon sat in it.

"It's fine," Sharon waved. "So, do you have a lot of packing to still do?"

"Yeah," Andy sighed. "I wanted to get this all done the last two evenings, but as you know, that case took a lot longer than any of us would have liked. It's fine, though," he waved. "Brady is asleep and aside from the lady who showed up at my door stalking my kid, it's been a quiet evening," he winked to her. Sharon just pursed her lips and nodded. It was a fairly accurate statement. She shifted in the chair a little; Andy was right about the chair. It was uncomfortable. She held out a couple more minutes before she sighed, stood, and walked to the bed. She climbed up and sat down on it, leaning against the headboard as she continued to watch Andy pack.

"Told ya," he said, not making eye contact with her as he packed.

Sharon ignored the comment and changed topics, "Brady should have everything too. I packed his bag from the stuff at my house."

"Okay," Andy nodded. "I'll get everything washed when we get home and make sure your stuff gets back to your house."

"I'm not worried about that," Sharon pointed out. "He's outgrowing what he has. I need to get more of the nine-month clothing. I think I only have a few sleepers right now and a couple of outfits."

"Same here," Andy nodded. They had been keeping clothes for Brady at both houses. It was working well, and if one thing started at one house and showed up at the other, it wasn't a big deal. They were more concerned about just having some clothing at either house.

"I'll have some time in Phoenix to shop. I'll pick up some stuff for him," Sharon explained. "I know you said you were taking Nate shopping, but don't worry about shopping for Brady. Nate would hate that, and I really don't mind."

"Okay," Andy nodded. "Just let me know what half the cost is, and I'll write you a check."

Sharon shook her head, "It's fine, Andy. You bought both high chairs, and you wouldn't let me give you money for that. I'll get the clothes."

"I don't mind paying, Sharon," Andy told her. He was accurate in that statement. As he'd originally promised, Andy had paid for the day care costs through December. He'd also bought all the diapers and formula, and now that the calendar year was coming to an end, the two were going to have to sit down and figure out the expense juggling act for the next year. Neither minded doing so; it was just a conversation they had yet to have. Andy had gotten in the habit of buying a pack of diapers and a can of formula each time he now went to the store, so he was going to be able to surprise Sharon a little when they did have that conversation and let her know she was stocked for at least a couple more months. Andy loved being able to provide for Brady and to help Sharon. Yes, Brady was his too, but he knew Sharon didn't expect anything from him and was still, on occasion, surprised at the support he provided.

"I know you don't; thank you, but it's fine, really," Sharon said.

"So, don't tell me you are going all the way to Phoenix to shop for Brady's clothing. Doing some Christmas shopping too?" he asked.

Sharon nodded, "Yes, among other things." Andy eyed her with a curious glance, not asking, but hoping she would explain. Sharon saw his glance and continued, "I need to find a dress for the police benefit," she said as she turned red. Andy wanted to chuckle at her blushing at the mention of their 'outing,' but he knew that would fluster her even more. So, he just nodded.

"Well," he told her, "let me know what color your dress is when you get it, and I'll be sure to wear a tie that matches. I'm awfully glad we don't have to wear our uniforms or a tux that evening." Sharon was drawing her finger along the lines on Andy's comforter, not making eye contact. He could tell she was again feeling awkward about going to the benefit with him, which was silly; they spent a lot of time together, but he knew it was more than that.

"It will probably be black," Sharon said out of the blue. The room had gone silent for a couple of minutes, Andy letting Sharon process things, while he continued to pack.

"Sorry?" Andy asked.

"My dress," Sharon gestured with her hand. "It will probably be black. I don't like flashy colors for these things. I don't like to stick out. I like simple elegance, and that usually ends up being a black dress," she shrugged.

"Well," Andy flipped the lid up on his suitcase, now finished with his packing, as he waited to catch Sharon's gaze. She finally looked at him, her eyes meeting his, and he continued, "Well, it's hard for you to blend in, and I don't mean who you are or the reputation you have. It's hard to not notice a beautiful lady, Sharon, no matter what color her dress is. So, you just let me know what color, and I'll try to match, at least match your dress. I can't match your beauty," he winked and pulled his suitcase off the bed. He didn't say anything more, but instead walked the suitcase to the front door, leaving Sharon there for a moment to recover from the compliment.

Sharon met Andy in the hallway as he was walking back toward his room to check on her. "Why have you been complimenting me more and more?"

"I want to," Andy replied. "It's always nice to get a compliment, and I haven't said anything that's not true."

Sharon closed her eyes and sighed, looking away. Andy stood there looking at her wondering what she was going to say next. She looked up at him, met his gaze, and she opened her mouth to say something. Instead of talking, she shook her head again. Her next action surprised Andy; she took a step closer, stood up on her toes, put her hands on his face, and she kissed him. If a kiss could be defined, it seemed like the perfect kiss. It wasn't short; it didn't linger, but it was just the right amount to hopefully covey what she thought, well, if that was possible. On some level, Sharon wasn't exactly sure what she thought. Andy only took a few brief seconds to catch up, pulling Sharon closer and placing his hands on her lower back as they continued their kiss. When Sharon broke apart, she put her hand up to her mouth, and then she said softly, "I'm sorry."

"No, no," Andy tugged on her arm as she was trying to step back to give them more space. "Don't be sorry," he mumbled, pulling her into an embrace. He sighed as he put his head on top of hers. He could feel the tension in her body as he held her, but that soon started to fade. She returned the embrace, finally wrapping her arms around him.

The two finally broke apart, and Sharon looked up to Andy, "I feel like this whole situation is so backwards, so tangled, that we can't ever untangle it. How do you start over when you share a baby?" she asked, now tears in her eyes. "I just don't know, and it's not even starting over, I guess. The real question might involve how do you start anything when you already have a baby?"

Andy nodded as Sharon spoke. He knew her well enough by now, that she wanted to vent a little, so he just let her talk.

"I should go," she said abruptly. Andy knew she was starting to panic.

"Sharon," he sighed, and Sharon had already taken a step back to distance herself from him. He knew he needed to fight for her.

"Sharon, don't run," he said a little louder than he had been. That stopped her movements, and she looked at him. "Don't run away," he pleaded, taking a step toward her. He reached out and clasped her hand. "Whatever is going on in your head, you tell yourself to run from this. I would like you to stop running. Stop running and start talking-to me," he pleaded.

Sharon looked down at the floor, processing what Andy had said. When she looked up at him, he was running his hand through his hair, obviously frustrated. She took a step toward him again, leaned up and kissed him again. He wrapped his arms around her, and they continued to kiss. Andy had to admit that it was the opposite of running, but he knew she was still processing things. Sharon broke their kiss, "So, do you?" she asked, nodding her head, trying to say more without saying it.

"No," he shook his head, "not like this. You've still got a lot to figure out. We're not repeating our college trips here tonight, not like this," he said again. "I care about you too much now for that." Sharon closed her eyes and nodded. She started to pull back from him quickly, feeling rejected. Andy didn't want that, and he tugged on her arm. "Hey," he said, waiting until she met his gaze, "Do not feel like I'm rejecting you. You are still all over the place, Sharon. You can barely talk about the two of us going to the police benefit without blushing. We aren't going to jump into bed together now; it could ruin everything. I care deeply, but you need to figure things out for yourself. You have no idea how much I care," Andy sighed. Sharon bit her lip, as she nodded, but remained quiet. "Listen," Andy said, checking his watch, "it's really late now, after midnight. I don't like the idea of you driving all the way home this late. Yeah, yeah, I know you can, but I don't like it. Why don't you stay here in the spare room? You can see Brady in the morning before we all head out. We'll have a few minutes to talk in the morning, okay?" he asked, gently putting his thumb under her chin. He knew she would avoid eye contact, but he wanted and needed to see her eyes.

"Okay," she agreed, somewhat reluctantly. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make this more awkward."

"Hey," he said, his hands running up her shoulders, "progress," he shrugged. "I got a couple great kisses out of it," he smiled softly as he took her hand and led her to his extra room. "There are towels in the bathroom if you want to shower. I'll get you a shirt," he explained. Sharon nodded and opened the door while Andy disappeared. She walked in the room and sat on the bed, looking around. Andy reappeared with an old Dodger shirt and an old LAPD shirt. "Your choice," he offered. Sharon took the LAPD shirt and stood again.

"Thank you, I mean, for everything," she gestured.

"Sleep well, Sharon," he leaned in and kissed her cheek, leaving the room before either had to say another word.

It was still the middle of the night when Andy shifted. He glanced at his clock, 4:08, it read. He sighed, running his hand through his hair again.

"Are you awake?" he heard, and he flipped over to face the voice.

"I'm either having a great dream, or you are really lying there talking to me," he mumbled and continued, "which, if that's the case, what is wrong with me? How did I sleep through a gorgeous brunette sneaking into my bed?" He heard Sharon chuckle softly, and then he fully opened his eyes and reached over to pinch her.

"Hey," she swatted at him.

"Not a dream," he mumbled. "I'm going to start calling you Goldilocks. You're in the wrong bed."

"Couldn't sleep," Sharon explained. She had been lying on her back, staring at the ceiling, but when Andy started rolling around, she shifted and was now on her side, her arm propping up her head to talk to Andy. Her hair was still a bit damp from the shower she'd taken after she couldn't sleep. It hadn't helped, so she'd decided being closer to Andy might help. It seemed to be working; she was at least content now, even if she hadn't fallen asleep.

"Something on your mind?" he mumbled again, knowing full well what, or rather who, was on her mind.

"So, I messed up earlier," she started. Andy shifted and turned toward her, mirroring her stance, now with his arm propping up his head. They were facing each other, both ready to talk.

"How so?" he quirked an eyebrow at her. "For the record, I think you are a pretty good kisser."

"Not that," she sighed, "I'm trying to be serious."

"Okay," he acknowledged, "sorry."

"I messed up when I umm, when I, well, when I started to ahh proposition you yet again," she stammered. Even though it was dark, and he could only see Sharon slightly through the faint light shining into the room, he knew she was blushing again. "I haven't slept all night, thinking about that. I was stupid to suggest we jump back into bed together," she shook her head, "and, I've been thinking about that. I think a lot of it leads back to Jack, and I'm very sorry for that. I don't like to talk about Jack, and I don't like to compare him; that's not ever something I want to do, but it is relevant right now. When I was married to Jack, I realize that he never wanted me, well, I guess that's all he wanted, to have a good time with me and then move on. He never wanted to love me or be in love with me. In a way, I think I learned a bad behavior. Even when I met you as the boys were touring colleges, I don't think I knew how to express anything. We went from zero to 100 instantly, and I know that's because I threw myself at you. Yes, I might have been having a mid-life 'girl gone wild' crisis, but I learned a lot from Jack. Jack did that with me. He skipped all the real things, the honest things, and he got basically what he wanted and that was that. I spent almost two decades with that bad behavior, and it's something I need to break. I will break; I don't want to live like that. I don't want a relationship like that. As much as I love Brady, he was the result of that, a zero to 100 decision, bad behavior that I initiated. I'm sorry," she said honestly.

"You have been up thinking," Andy used his free hand to run over Sharon's shoulder in reassurance. "Thank you for that. It makes sense. I don't know Jack, but what you've told me, that makes sense. Sharon, it's okay; you aren't broken beyond repair, and neither am I. I'm no poster child for a successful relationship either; just ask my ex-wife, but we can work on things together."

He saw Sharon nod in the dim light, and then he heard her let out a tiny sob. He moved closer to pull her in to embrace her, wrapping his arms around her as she got out her anguish. He ran his hand up and down her back as she cried it out, and finally after she had been quiet for a couple of minutes, he pulled back to meet her gaze. "Can I tell you something?"

"Hmm?" she said, not wanting to let him hear her shaky voice.

"So, the way I see it, we've been doing a pretty good job of a real relationship these last few months. Now, granted," he grinned at her, as he ran his thumb down the side of her face, "there's always room for improvement," he chuckled, "but, we have been communicating well, sharing, and spending most of our time with each other. We talk a lot, and we trust each other, at least I hope we do."

"I trust you, Andy," Sharon said quietly. "Brady wouldn't be out of my sight if I didn't."

"I know," he told her. "I know. So, let's make a deal, Captain," he encouraged her. She chuckled at his mentioning her title. "I have heard around the building that you are infamous for your deals. Thank goodness, I haven't been in the line of fire with you too much at work, but man, the stories I hear," he shook his head, "frightening, that's what I have to say. I even think to myself that it couldn't be 'my Sharon' the guys are so terrified to face, but apparently, you have quite the reputation. So, my deal," he offered.

"I'm listening, but no promises," she told him.

"Let's get some rest. We both have a long week ahead of us, and the time apart should do us some good. We'll still talk and all, but let's pick up this conversation after we get back, no timeline and no pressure, but we aren't going to solve everything, nor are we going to think through everything, tonight. Deal?" he asked.

Sharon thought a moment, "Deal," she replied.

"Good," he squeezed her hand. "Night, Sharon," he squeezed her hand again, pulling it toward his so he could continue to hold it.

"You aren't making me leave the room?" she asked.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Sharon," he said quietly, and the two finally drifted off to sleep.


	29. Chapter 29

Her trip to Arizona had been just what she needed, yet she was anxious to get home. Sharon had enjoyed the time with Emily very much, girl time, mother-daughter time. She and Emily had spent the daytime hours catching up and shopping. Sharon had spent the evening hours watching her daughter, her now grown daughter, do what she loves and does best, dance. It had been a very relaxing and rewarding trip for Sharon. Emily had enjoyed the time too, both knowing that she would soon be graduating from college and hopefully moving to New York. The two had spent a lot of time talking, mostly about Emily, but they had briefly talked about Sharon, Brady, Ricky, and even Andy. Sharon hadn't mentioned much about Andy, partly because she wasn't sure what to say at this point. Emily knew Andy had been doing a good job with Brady and with helping Sharon, but Sharon didn't want to discuss anything more about Andy until she had a better grasp on it herself.

The truth was Sharon was very attracted to and most likely falling for Andy, but that scared her. It scared her because of what she'd told Andy the night before the trip to Arizona. She had learned a lot of bad behaviors from her relationship with Jack. That didn't excuse anything; she was still responsible for her own actions, but it did make it hard to have a healthy relationship now, especially with so much at stake.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her phone started to ring. "Ricky," she smiled, as she answered the speaker phone. "I am about three hours out right now. How are you, Sweetheart?"

"Mom," Ricky said, and immediately, Sharon could tell something was wrong.

"Ricky, what's wrong?" she asked in a panic.

"I'll be fine, really," he said, trying to reassure her. "I'm in the ER."

"What happened?" Sharon said, now in a panic.

"I'm just getting stitches," he said. "I sliced my hand, and I couldn't get it to stop bleeding. I was trying to make dinner for you. I knew you had a long drive today, and I was slicing vegetables. I just totally missed and sliced myself. I thought it would be okay, but it wouldn't stop bleeding. I called Andy because I didn't know who else to call. He came over, and even after all that time it took him to get to the condo, it was still bleeding some. It wasn't a clean cut either, so he thought I should go to the ER. I would have gone to the Urgent Care, but it was pretty busy. So, I'm almost done here."

"Oh, Ricky," Sharon sighed. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Yeah, they put seven stitches in my hand. It's sore, but the doctor said it should heal fine. It's probably going to leave a scar, but I don't think it will be too bad," he said.

"Okay, do you need me to drive there and get you when I get to town? I'm still almost three hours away," she told him.

"No, I'm fine. Andy is going to take me back home," he said.

"Andy's there with you?" she asked.

"Yeah, in fact, I'll put him on the phone. He said he had a couple of questions for you, insurance questions, but I'll be okay. I'm just sorry that I made a mess in the kitchen and couldn't make the dinner I had planned," Ricky sighed. "Don't worry about me, Mom. I just wanted to let you know I'm going to be okay, and I'll see you when you get home."

"Okay," Sharon sighed, as she continued to drive.

"Here's Andy, Mom," Ricky told her.

"Hi, Sharon," Andy said, and Sharon smiled just at hearing his voice. "Listen, Ricky is going to be fine. Yeah, he had to get stitches, but he didn't do any permanent damage. He just really sliced himself. The Urgent Care was really busy, or we would have gone there. Please, don't worry."

"Hi," she sighed into the phone. "Thank you for helping Ricky, even though I'm sure you had better things to do this afternoon."

"Well," he chuckled, "just taking care of your other son."

"Brady! I didn't even think to ask about him. Where's Brady?" she asked. "I can't believe I didn't ask about him."

"Relax, Sharon," Andy said as he tried to calm her. "He's right here with me. I've got him in the stroller. It's no problem. Both boys are fine and in good hands. I promise. Now, I did have a question about the paperwork here. I helped Ricky fill out the insurance paperwork, but I wanted to double check that there was no secondary insurance from Jack. I didn't think there was anything; Ricky didn't either, but I wanted to ask.

"No," Sharon shook her head, realizing that he couldn't see her do that, "there's no other insurance. I assume you had all the other information from work?"

"Yeah, I knew the rest, so it's all done. I guess Ricky called the right person; it helps to call someone else who works at the LAPD who would know all the insurance information," he told her.

"Hmm, yes, true, but I'm glad he called you. Surprised a little," she admitted, "but, glad he did call."

"When I dropped him off the other day, I told him to call if he needed anything, and I meant it; I always mean that. I'm glad he called too. Oh, geez," Andy sighed. "I'm getting a call on my phone. It's Provenza. Let me call you back; we're on call."

"Okay," Sharon told him. "I'm still three hours away, but let me know if you caught a case," she explained.

"Will do," Andy said, "and Sharon, drive safely. See you soon."

Sharon thought about increasing her speed to get home faster, but she wasn't one to abuse her power, not that she really had any hours away from L.A. So, she continued to drive, waiting for Andy to call her back and update her. She had a feeling he had caught a case.

His call a few minutes later confirmed it, "Sharon, we caught a case," he told her. "Listen, we are just waiting on the final paperwork here. I told Provenza what I was doing, and while I can't skip out on work, I can get the boys home. Listen, Ricky said he's okay to keep Brady. His hand is sore, but he thinks, and I agree with him, he can manage Brady until you get home."

"Oh, I hate that I'm not there for all this. I'm sorry you are stuck in the middle of this mess," Sharon groaned. "I know you need to get to work. Thanks for taking care of everything."

"Sure," Andy told her. "Listen, I'll bring Brady's things back to you in the next day or so, whenever I get a break from this case."

"Don't worry about it," Sharon told him. "You're working, and things will be just fine at the condo. I also got Brady some bigger clothing, and you and I both know he is very much in need of the next size."

"Oh, Sharon, I need to go. The nurse just walked back in here with his paperwork. Be careful coming home, and I'll talk to you in the next couple days." Andy explained.

"Thanks, Andy, for everything. Be careful at work," she told him. "Please tell Ricky I'll call him in an hour or so after he's home."

"Will do," Andy said and hung up.

Sharon groaned and smacked her hand to her head; this was frustrating. Her son needed her, and she wasn't there. Granted, he was grown and things could have been much worse, but it didn't change her motherly instinct to help her son. Then, there was Andy, coming to Ricky's rescue. Andy, the father of her other son, had spent the last few days with both her sons, and he had told her what a nice time they had all had together. Yes, she'd spoken with Andy daily during their trips, but neither had discussed their relationship or potential for one. Did they now have a relationship? Even that, Sharon didn't know. She had to admit they had some type of relationship; they did share Brady, but was there more? Would there be more? That, she didn't know, but she did know that the night before the trip, the night she'd finally opened herself to Andy just a little, had been one of the most honest evenings she'd had in a long while. It had also been the first time she'd gotten a decent sleep in a very long time, even if that sleep didn't start until after 4:00 in the morning. She'd opened her soul to Andy, and she'd finally started to relax. The two had departed on good terms that next morning, and Sharon smiled as she adjusted in her seat. She tried to focus on the road, but her mind kept drifting to that morning.

 _"How long has he been awake?" Sharon asked as she walked into the kitchen, a small smile on her face as her eyes met Andy's._

 _"Morning," he nodded, taking in her appearance, standing there in his old t-shirt. "He woke up at 5:55, so a decent night's sleep."_

 _"You should have gotten me up," she shook her head, glancing to the clock. Andy followed her gaze._

 _"No reason," he shrugged. "Besides, you got another hour of sleep that I have a feeling you desperately needed. A little birdie told me you didn't get much sleep last night."_

 _Sharon nodded, "Amazingly, I feel rested. I know I only slept three hours, but sometimes, it's quality and not quantity. I feel a lot better after getting so much off my chest. Thank you for listening to me."_

 _"Of course," he nodded, handing her a fresh cup of coffee. Sharon moved over to the table and sat down next to Brady, smiling at him. He continued to look around the room, his eyes going from Andy to Sharon and back again. "He's probably still hungry."_

 _Sharon looked to the jar of baby food. It was half-eaten, which was typical right now. Brady hadn't been eating baby food that long, and they were finding he wasn't able to finish an entire jar in the morning. She picked it up and tried feeding Brady again. He took a bite, and Sharon looked to Andy._

 _"What are you doing over there?" she tried to peer over the counter, which was hard from where she was sitting._

 _"Making some eggs. We both have long drives, and while your whole quality vs. quantity of sleep makes sense, I'm going to state that we are both tired," Andy turned and winked. He turned ack and grabbed two plates, plated them, and he walked over to serve Sharon. She smiled and nodded her thanks, shifting in her seat to sit properly. Andy sat across from her, Brady in between him._

 _"Thank you for breakfast," Sharon nodded. "I also need to thank you for picking up Ricky."_

 _"You've thanked me several times, already, Sharon. No need again. I'm happy to help. You know that," he told her._

 _"Right," she said, her voice a bit shaky._

 _"Hey," he said softly, wanting her to meet his gaze. She finally did, "Relax. We talked some last night. We'll talk more later. One day at a time," he nodded to her. "I hear that a lot, and I think you need to hear it and believe it too."_

 _Sharon nodded, "One day at a time. I'll work on that."_

Now, as she continued toward L.A., Sharon repeated that over and over. She could only take one day at a time right now. She truly didn't know what the future might hold with Andy. She had figured out she wasn't ready for a major relationship right now, not that she was turning away Andy, but she just couldn't promise anything more. She was going to take one day at a time, and that included Andy. She couldn't promise anything else right now.

Sharon's thoughts about Andy and really her whole future helped pass the time. Before she realized it, she was back into the traffic of greater LA. Finally, she arrived back at her condo, anxious to see her boys.

"Ricky, I'm home," she called to him. She found both boys back in their bedroom. Ricky was sitting on the floor with Brady who was playing with a toy. "Ricky," she sighed, shaking her head as she noticed his wounded hand.

"Mom, hi," he offered a sad smile. "I'm fine, really."

"Hmm," she nodded, bending down to look at his hand. "Ricky, that looks painful."

"It is, a little. I took some painkillers, and that's finally kicked in. Yeah, a great welcome home from college," he rolled his eyes. "I basically stab myself. I was slicing vegetables. I thought it would be a nice welcome home for you, you know, to make dinner. I know I don't cook much, but I've picked up a few things at school from friends who have their own apartments. Anyway, I wanted to get dinner ready early because honestly, I didn't know how long it would take me, and I had planned to go for a run this afternoon. Well, plans changed," he shrugged again. "Brady and I are just two guys hanging out here."

Sharon had moved from crouching down to sitting down. She listened to Ricky as she inspected his hand and offered him a sympathetic smile as he spoke. "I appreciate the dinner gesture. I'm just sorry it resulted in a trip to the ER."

"Food isn't good there either," he made a face. "Just kidding," he flashed a smile. "I wasn't there long enough to eat."

Sharon chuckled slightly herself, finally turning her attention to Brady, "Oh, my sweet baby, how I've missed you too," she smiled. "Both my boys home." Sharon leaned over to give Ricky a kiss on his head, and then she scooped up Brady, kissing him as well. "Has he been trouble?"

"Are you kidding? He's been an angel this afternoon. He's starting to be fun now that he's awake more and sitting up mostly," Ricky told her.

"He is fun," Sharon acknowledged. "I just hope he wasn't too much trouble with your hand so sore."

"It's fine, Mom, really," Ricky told her. "I'm just glad I didn't have to try and drive to the ER with my hand bleeding all over the place. Andy was a huge help. He's a nice guy. I enjoyed getting to know him on the trip home. I like him, Mom. Brady's got a nice dad," he said.

Sharon hummed, "Yes, he's a nice guy. I'm glad you like him and could spend some time with him. He's going to be around here for a long time."

"So, you're dating him?" Ricky asked.

Sharon shook her head, "No, not dating. We work well together; Brady is our priority. I like Andy a lot," she admitted and shrugged. "I do, BUT if that becomes anything more, I don't know. I have had enough life changes in the past year between Brady and you going off to school, just to name a couple. Andy and I are friends, good friends, and we're going to take one day at a time."

"Okay, Mom," Ricky nodded. "I'm not sure I understand, but I just want you to be happy at the end of the day. I see Brady and don't know how you go from that with Andy to saying you are friends, but it's not my business, I suppose. Just be happy, Mom. Dad certainly did a number on you."

"Yes," Sharon agreed, "which is honestly, part of the problem, or at least part of my hesitation or rush toward anything else.

"Just be happy," he said again. "And, he'd better take care of Brady, even anything you need for Brady."

"He's doing a good job, Ricky," Sharon patted his hand and then moved her hand to run it over Brady's head. "Like I said, he'll be around, so I hope things continue to go well."

Ricky raised his eyebrows, "Around-you make it sound like a lot?" he questioned.

Sharon shrugged her shoulders, "He is around a lot. You know that. We share Brady, and we do that well. The holidays are here too, so yes, he'll be around to see Brady. He's part of the family now, Brady's family, and we are going to respect that."

"Let's not forget this date you have with him next weekend, Mom," Ricky flashed a grin.

"Richard, it's not a date," Sharon rolled her eyes as she sighed again.


	30. Chapter 30

"Mom, your date is here," Ricky called down the hallway and turned back to Andy, grinning. "She should be out in a minute. She wanted to put Brady in his pajamas before she left," he explained, turning toward the living room where Andy hadn't notice they had an audience. "Andy, come on over and meet my grandparents."

Andy's eyes grew huge as the words sunk in, grandparents, meaning Sharon's parents. Sharon hadn't warned him her parents were coming, and now, here they were, sitting in front of him tonight. She had mentioned they were coming closer to Christmas, but he didn't realize they were coming so soon, not that he was worried about meeting them, but still, it was a bit awkward to meet the parents of the woman you now shared a child. "Your grandparents," Andy nodded and looked to the couch where there were indeed, two older adults sitting. They started to stand, "Oh, don't get up on my account," Andy said as he quickly moved to the couch area. Sharon's parents were elderly, he could tell, and there was no reason for them to get up on his account. They did, despite his protest.

"Nonsense," Sharon's dad waved off the comment as he stood, "Bill O'Dwyer," he said as he stuck out his hand to meet Andy.

"Andy Flynn," Andy nodded toward him. He turned toward Sharon's mom, clasping her hand as she was now also standing, "Andy Flynn," he nodded to her. "You really didn't need to get up on my account."

"Sue O'Dwyer," she nodded to him. "Nice to meet you, Andy."

"Figured I needed to stand up, eye to eye with the guy who carries the same last name as my grandson," Bill nodded to him, "and, apparently, the guy who is taking my daughter out on a date tonight."

"Dad, it's not a date," Sharon sighed as she commented from the hallway entrance, Brady in her arms. "Hi," she nodded to Andy. "Sorry I wasn't here to introduce you to my parents," she gestured.

"Hi," Andy smiled to her and nodded. "No, no, it's fine," he gestured toward Sharon's parents. "Ricky there gave me warning from the door, and well," he shrugged, "we've now met." Andy stepped toward Sharon, "Hey, Munchkin."

Sharon smiled at Andy's mention of Brady, and she shifted him on her hip to offer Brady to Andy. "You're welcome to hold him," she gestured, and Andy lifted him from her grasp. He kissed the top of his head before turning back to the room where Ricky was sitting in one of Sharon's side chairs, and her parents were standing near the couch. Andy moved toward the other side chair, and Sharon spoke up again, "Mom, Dad, why don't you sit down again? Andy hasn't seen Brady all week, and I'm sure he would love a minute with him."

"We just don't want to make you late for your date, Sharon," her mom smiled to her.

"It's not a date," Sharon sighed shaking her head. Andy nodded in agreement.

"Not a date," Andy agreed. "Two colleagues who have to attend a work benefit," Andy added to that statement.

"Then, the whole purple thing you have going on is just by accident?" Ricky asked, eyebrows raised as he looked to the pair. Andy's tie was the same deep purple as Sharon's dress.

Sharon huffed, "Hush, we didn't want to clash, and besides," she offered a single shoulder shrug, "we did discuss taking a nice picture so Brady would have one."

"I'm guessing you'll get three copies of that picture," Ricky mumbled, throwing a smile toward his grandparents, who had both made themselves comfortable on the couch again. Andy took his seat and sat down, putting Brady in his lap.

Andy turned back to Bill and Sue, "I can see the resemblance, Mrs. O'Dwyer. Sharon looks a lot like you."

"It's Sue," she gestured with her hand to Andy, "and, I'll take that as a compliment because Sharon is quite beautiful. Your dress looks lovely, Sharon."

"Oh, thank you," Sharon looked own to her dress, smoothing it out. "Emily and I found it in Phoenix." Sharon was wearing a deep purple dress, so dark it was almost black. It had a straight cut with a V-neck front and back to it and with light beading on it. Classy, not too flashy, and a perfect fit. Andy smiled up at her; she was now standing next to the chair where he was sitting.

"You look great, Sharon," he nodded. Really, he wanted to say a lot more, but he knew it would only fluster and possibly embarrass Sharon. He continued, "I was expecting a black dress like you had told me, so I was pleasantly surprised when you mentioned purple."

"Your tie even matches, Andy," Ricky nodded, a small grin on his face.

"It does," Andy nodded back and turned his attention to Brady who was sitting with Andy looking up at him.

"Did Munchkin here have pears for dinner? I can smell pears," Andy chuckled.

"He did," Sharon nodded. "He had pears and peas earlier today. He's expanding his food palate."

"Well, that's good to hear," Andy agreed. "Man, I've missed seeing him this week."

Sharon turned to her parents to explain, "We both normally see Brady during the week, but Andy had a rough case this week that had his team going almost 24/7 for days." Sharon's parents knew a lot of Brady's comings and goings, but Sharon was nervous and felt the need to explain things.

"Ahh, yes, Sharon said you're in Robbery/Homicide?" Bill asked.

"I am," Andy said. "I've been a homicide detective most of my career, a lieutenant," he added, "and, I transferred back to the main precinct here in LA about four months ago."

"Yes," Sue agreed, "and that's when you and Sharon ran into each other?" she asked.

"Correct," Andy told her, looking to Brady, "and I'm very grateful we did. I'm just sorry it wasn't any sooner so I could have been part of Brady's life from the very start. I love this little guy. I haven't had much time to see Brady this week. Normally, he spends a couple nights at my house, and really, during the week, if one of us has to work late, the other just takes Brady home. This week," he sighed, "was a long week. I know Sharon didn't see him for a few days last week when I picked up the boys at Stanford, and we'd agreed she would keep him most of this week, but even with a week like that, I usually see him for dinner or something. I just didn't know I wouldn't have a free second to see him myself. I could barely get to the day care to see him for a few minutes. I think I did that, what, Wednesday?" he questioned and turned to Sharon.

She nodded, "Yes, Wednesday, and I'm sorry you missed him Friday," she explained. She looked to the rest of the group, "Andy sent me a message that he'd gone to check on Brady in the day care, but I'd taken him to his six-month checkup after lunch."

"Yeah," Andy waved off, "sorry, I missed that. I couldn't catch a break from the case. I'm just glad we wrapped up things today."

"Me too," Sharon nodded. "I really didn't want to have to hear Pope or Delk go on and on tonight by myself," she rolled her eyes and turned to her parents. "Being a captain means I'm expected to not only make an appearance tonight, but also that I am expected to spend countless hours with those higher ranking, especially the different chiefs."

Brady started to fuss, so Andy put him on his shoulder and started to rub his back while he continued to speak to Sharon and her family. "Did you have a nice flight here? I'm sorry you took me by surprise. Sharon mentioned you were coming, but I thought she'd said it was going to be closer to Christmas."

"Oh, that's my fault," Sue nodded. "We had talked about buying the tickets for the 22nd, I believe, but I made a mistake when I purchased the tickets online. I ordered them on the 19th of October, and I thought I'd changed the date on the online calendar. I changed the month, but our tickets ended up being for the 19th of December. Luckily, it's not a huge ordeal; it allows us to spend more time here, but I didn't realize it until just a couple of days ago when I sat down to print out all our travel documents. So, we just arrived here late this morning."

"Wow," Andy's eyes grew wide as he glanced to Sharon. "I guess it's a good thing you realized it before you missed the flight. It would have been terrible if you had figured out that say on the 20th or something."

"Yes," Bill nodded. "We aren't complaining about a few extra days with Sharon and our grandchildren. It turns out to be an added benefit we get to see our beautiful daughter all dressed up tonight for this charity event."

"True, indeed," Andy nodded, still rubbing Brady's back. "Someone is sleepy," he nodded to Brady, and the room chuckled. He looked over to Ricky who had been pretty quiet, "How's the hand there, Ricky?"

"Much better," Ricky told him. "I'm going to get the stitches out Monday. I went with Mom yesterday to Brady's appointment, and the doc there just glanced at my hand and suggested I wait until Monday. He said it was healing, but it needed a couple more days. Thanks again for helping me with that."

"It wasn't a problem," he said, turning back to Sharon's parents. "Your grandson, there, should probably stick with computers. I don't think culinary is his specialty."

The room chuckled, and Sue asked Andy, "So, you have two other children, we've heard?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Nicole is going to graduate from San Diego State in the spring with a degree in accounting. Nate is in the same dorm as Ricky, and he's going toward marketing. It's still general business, but I think that's the area he's leaning toward right now."

"Very good," Sue nodded. "Ricky mentioned he and Nate were becoming friends. We really appreciate you helping as much as you did last week, with both our grandsons," she smiled. "You seem like a very good dad with Brady, and Ricky might still be sitting at Stanford if you hadn't been able to help. I know Sharon was very glad to get a few days in Phoenix with Emily."

"Well, I was happy to help, but I figure that's what people do-pitch in and help when they can. Plus, when one of them is my own son," he gestured to Brady, who was starting to fall asleep on Andy, "it's not as much help as it is just being a dad."

"We should let you two get going," Bill nodded to Sharon and Andy. "Andy, if you pass Brady to Sue, I think both will be very comfortable for the evening. Ricky and I are going to go pick up dinner."

"Yes, we should go," Sharon nodded to Andy, and Andy stood. Sharon leaned in and kissed Brady on the head before he passed Brady to Sharon's mom.

"Night, Munchkin," he ran his hand over Brady's back. "Where are you staying?" he asked Sharon's parents as he stood up. Sharon was gathering her clutch and coat for the evening.

"Oh, we're just down the street at the hotel, not far," Bill said. Sue was shifting around, getting comfortable with Brady.

"They are going to take my car back to the hotel tonight, that is after they spend most of the evening here with the boys," Sharon told Andy as she snapped the clasp on her clutch, "that is, if it's okay we take your car?"

"Completely fine," Andy nodded. "I thought we would anyway."

"Okay," Sharon turned to the group, "we'll be at this benefit all evening. Call if you need anything, but Ricky, you know about Brady's bottles and all, correct?"

"Mom, I'm good," he nodded. "I've spent time with Brady this week."

"Okay," she told them and started for the door. Andy followed her and helped her into her coat, and the two waved to the group, "Have a nice evening," Sharon told them as Andy opened the door and followed her out.

"Nice to meet you both," Andy told Sue and Bill, nodding at them. "I'm sure I'll see more of you this week."

"Bye, Mom; enjoy your date!" Ricky exclaimed.

Sharon waited until they were on the elevator before turning to Andy, "Sorry about all of that," she gestured with her hand. "I know you had a crazy week, and my week was nothing like yours, but busy too. It was just a couple of days ago my parents called with their airline mix-up, and then I was scrambling to get them a hotel room, get the house cleaned, and get to work, not to mention taking care of Brady and Ricky." She took a deep breath and started again, "Hi," she smiled.

"Hi, yourself," he smiled back at her. "It's fine, really. I was just expecting a different audience when I picked you up, but I'm glad I got to meet your parents.

"I really meant to let you know that; I'm sorry again. The day got away from me, and I completely forgot to call you. I thought about it early this morning, but I knew you still had the case. When you left me a message this afternoon that you'd finished with the case, I was in the middle of feeding Brady and got busy. I apologize. I didn't mean to hide my parents' visit from you."

"Sharon, it's really okay," Andy told her as they got off the elevator. He opened the door for her, leading toward the visitor parking area. "I planned on driving tonight, anyway, so even the bit about your car, it's all fine. You can relax. We just now have to spend the rest of the evening with the eyes of the LAPD staring at you."

Sharon chuckled, "I'm thinking they are more likely to stare at you, wondering why in the world you would escort me to this charity event-you remember I'm not liked in the department."

He shrugged, "I really don't care what other people think." They had arrived at Andy's car, but the two seemed set on finishing this conversation before they got into the car. "I've told you that I hear about your reputation all around the building, and because we both like our privacy, it's not come up that we share Brady, well, not to most. As we've agreed, we aren't hiding that, but it's not been the office gossip either. Anyway, I don't care if they stare at me. I know it won't really be at me; they'll be staring at you. You look beautiful, by the way. I wanted to tell you that upstairs, but I knew it would fluster you and possibly embarrass you in front of Ricky and your parents, but you really do look beautiful. The deep purple is a good color on you, and I have been very excited to see your dress. I also like your hair there to the side." Sharon had pulled all her hair to the side, over one shoulder to accentuate the v-design cut on the back of her dress.

"Thank you," Sharon smiled up to him. "I also need to thank you for not going into detail about your tie when Ricky commented on it. The purple tie looks very nice on you; you look very handsome tonight."

Andy looked down at his tie, "Oh, well, I knew it would only make things more awkward, my trying to explain how you bought the tie to go with your dress, so it wasn't a problem. Besides, we agreed this wasn't a date, and I figured trying to explain a tie didn't help us downplay the 'not a date' topic, which I know it's not. If it was a date, I would have taken you somewhere other than a police event in which our presence is required." He didn't address her comment about his looking handsome. He appreciated it, but he also knew drawing attention to it would again fluster Sharon.

She chuckled, nodding, "Mandatory fun, right? Hopefully, tonight isn't too bad. Thank you for going with me. At least we know each other, so it's not some awkward person who knows nothing about the police force."

"Exactly," Andy nodded, putting his hands in his pockets.

Sharon reached up to straighten the tie and ran her hands down it, "Still, thank you. I wasn't sure if you would have a tie this color purple, and when shopping, I had my dress right there. Emily liked it too, and I don't think that information will get back to Ricky. He surely would have teased me about it."

Andy raised an eyebrow, "I'm betting Emily will share that with Ricky at some point, but I love the tie. It's a great color, and as you said, it matches your dress perfectly. Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes," Sharon squeezed his arm. "Let's get going." Andy opened the door, helped her in, and he moved around to his own door.

The car was only quiet for a few moments, not even long enough for Andy to pull out onto the street before Sharon started talking, "I'm sorry work was so crazy for you this week. We can figure out the next few days with Brady. I know you must miss him."

"I do," Andy nodded. "Thanks. I want your parents to have some time with him too. Yes, he's my son, but they aren't here very often. He can be around your parents as much as you like."

Sharon pursed her lips before responding, "Well, they did spend time with him today. Would you like him tomorrow? I can bring him over to your house tomorrow morning," she offered.

Andy nodded, "That sounds great. I can bring him to work on Monday."

Sharon made a face, "My parents offered to watch him this week if you don't mind?" she asked. "They hated the idea of his going to day care while they are here."

"That's great, Sharon," Andy told her. "No, that's fine. I can drop him off on Monday morning at your place."

"Do you mind?" Sharon bit her lip as she asked. "If it's too much trouble, I can just get him after day care on Monday."

"Are you kidding?" he asked. "I think it's great they want to take care of him. No, I'll be happy to bring him over Monday morning. Now, tell me about your trip to Phoenix. I've barely had a moment to talk to you."

They spent the remainder of the drive talking about their trips. Andy could see Sharon light up when she spoke about Emily. She laughed telling him about some of the things they did while she was there. When she finished, Andy recounted his trip to Stanford, going on and on about what a good time he had with the three boys. Both seemed to relax during the car ride after they had time to catch up with each other. Neither brought up the night at Andy's place, the night he and Sharon had an in-depth conversation, but this wasn't really the time or place. They were just arriving at the benefit, both stepping out of the car and straightening their clothing before going inside.

"Ready?" he flashed a grin to her asking for confirmation.

"Yes," she nodded, slipping her arm through his. He was a little surprised, but it was a benefit, and people all around them were walking in like that.

They weren't inside more than a few minutes before Andy spotted Provenza. "Can we say hi to Provenza?"

"Of course," Sharon nodded, and they walked toward him.

"Old man," Andy greeted Provenza as they walked up. He flashed a smile at his date, "Liz, good to see you. It's been awhile."

"Andy," Liz smiled, "it has. "Might this lovely lady be the reason for Louie's constant continuing education classes at work?" she smirked.

Sharon and Andy both started to laugh, as Sharon extended her hand, "Sharon Raydor," she told Liz. "That would be correct; I'm the captain in charge of FID, so yes, the lieutenant and I cross paths every so often."

"Good to meet you, Captain," Liz shook her head.

"Oh, Sharon, please," she nodded.

"Sharon, it's nice to put a name to a face. I've heard all about you from both of these clowns, and I've had to beg to see pictures of that darling baby of yours. Louie pretends to never have pictures, but they're there on his phone, the big teddy bear he is. Now, Andy always has a ton, so whenever I'm stuck with these two, I hear all about you and Brady."

"It is nice to meet you," Sharon acknowledge, "although, I can't imagine it's ever a simple situation to be anywhere with these two."

"She knows you both well," Liz raised her eyebrows smiling to the men. "I love your dress."

"Thank you," Sharon told her. "Yours is also lovely." Liz was wearing a bright red dress, not something Sharon would wear to an event like this, but it did look lovely on Liz.

"It is almost Christmas, after all," Liz nodded to her dress. "I thought red would be fun. I had no idea Louie would wear the flashing reindeer tie."

"Hey, it's a good tie," Provenza said picking up the tie to study it. It was currently flashing on Rudolph's nose, a very Provenza-like tie. At least mine has style, and everyone will be talking about it."

"Oh yeah," Andy grumbled. "They'll be talking about your tie, no doubt."

"Better my tie than my date, Flynn!" Provenza exclaimed. "People are going to flip you two came together. Our department doesn't know you are the Baby Daddy, you know that right? Captain, I mean this with all due respect, but people hate you."

"I'm fully aware, Lieutenant. I'll deal with the comments," she shrugged.

"I'm sticking with the tie," Provenza nodded. "Flynn, you are one to comment on a tie. I didn't set out to match Liz's dress, but that tie screams you did."

"Lay off the tie, Provenza! Maybe I'll tell everyone Sharon gave you your tie. That would get people talking too," he rolled his eyes toward Sharon. She tried to hide her small smile.

"Look, we're going to mingle like she needs to do," Andy gestured to Sharon. "If I must come to this thing, I don't necessarily want to spend all evening with you. That happens on a regular basis, and I can certainly find better things to do tonight."

"I was going to tell you to move on," Provenza gestured. "Can't be seen talking to the captain too long, now. People might talk."

Sharon flashed a bright smile, "Lieutenant, don't worry; if people do talk, I'll just pull out my phone. I have plenty of pictures Andy sent me of you holding Brady. I'm sure the department would love to see that."

Provenza grumbled as he waved them off, "I'm going to see if there's any real food here. Where's a good buffet when you need it?"

Sharon and Andy spent the next two hours mingling with different people, but were finally exhausted and ready to sit. They had spoken to every higher ranking official at the benefit.

"Would you like to find some food?" Andy asked. This was not a full meal; instead, h'ordeuvres were being served all evening. The two had snagged a couple of appetizers over the course of the last two hours, but neither had eaten very much.

"I'm starving," Sharon pointed out. "Honestly, I'm not sure the h'ordeuvres are going to cut it tonight."

Andy's grin spread, "We could ditch this place and get some dinner," he suggested.

"I think that's a good idea," she told him. "I've spoken to everyone I can think of tonight. I've also noticed the stares we've gotten."

Andy waved it off, "Only to stare at your dress, not your company," he winked. "Yeah, I might hear a little at work on Monday, but who cares?" he shrugged. Andy had gotten an earful at the bar earlier when he'd gotten drinks for himself and Sharon. A couple of guys he'd known for years had come up to him, going on and on about Sharon's frigid attitude, wondering what Andy was getting out of the evening. He'd let them go on and on before politely blowing them off for the night. He knew it wouldn't be the end of it; in fact, talk around the building might increase, but he didn't care. People didn't know Sharon like he did. At the end of the day, he was okay with that. He felt like Sharon was almost a hidden secret; their loss was his gain. He snapped out of his thoughts to pay attention to Sharon.

"You might," she pointed out to him. "Your team could be relentless."

"Oh well," he said nonchalantly. "I get the better end of this deal. Brady is pretty amazing, and his mom is too, even if the rest of the LAPD thinks otherwise. I know differently."

"Thank you," Sharon smiled up at him. "Now, since this isn't a date, can I suggest a place for dinner where I'm paying?"

Andy rolled his eyes, "You don't need to do that. I can pay."

"Deal or no deal?" she teased. "Deal-we go eat, and I pay. No deal-you can take me home, leaving both of us hungry, where I'm also sure my family will be sitting up ready to grill us on the evening."

"Dinner sounds great," he nodded once, confirming she could pick the restaurant and pay.

It took a few minutes, but Andy followed Sharon's directions, pulling into a seafood restaurant. finally He looked to her, "This looks like a nice place."

"It is," Sharon offered. "I haven't been here in, gosh, a few years, so I hope it's still good. This is one of my favorite restaurants, but I just haven't had the time to come back here. I know it's late, but I don't think they will be busy. I hope seafood is okay."

"Of course," he nodded, getting out of the car and moving around to help her. "I haven't had seafood in awhile."

"Same here," she hummed. "I'm more than ready to eat."

The two only had to wait 10 minutes to be seated and were ushered to a table near the kitchen. It wasn't ideal, but Andy kept reminding himself this wasn't a date, at least to Sharon. Their table area was noisy, making it hard for either to carry on much of a conversation.

Sharon tried multiple times to discuss the other evening at Andy's house, sometimes being interrupted by their waiter and other times being interrupted by noise from the kitchen. As they were finishing their food and had made no progress in their discussion, both looked to each other and started to laugh.

"The food is great, Sharon," Andy told her honestly. "I am having a really hard time with any conversation," he admitted. "Next time, we need to ask for a better table."

"Agreed," Sharon rolled her eyes as she sighed. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry! The food is terrific. That was some of the best Halibut I've ever had. It's just not the table to have any conversation."

Sharon agreed, and soon the two had settled the bill, Sharon refusing to take any money from Andy. After he gave in, she finished paying, and then he followed her out of the restaurant, his hand on her back as they moved through the place. Once outside, Sharon moved closer to Andy, which again, was a bit of a surprise. During their time at the benefit, she'd stayed near him, but both had avoided contact, except for their entrance when she'd looped her arm through his. Now, apparently, in the cover of darkness and after spending several hours together, she reached for and clasped his hand on the short walk to the car.

"I was hoping to have a better opportunity to talk, Andy," Sharon told him. He nodded, letting her continue. "I want to thank you for listening to me the other night, for letting me try to sort out some of my thoughts. I feel like everyone close to me is wanting to know my thoughts, everyone but you, and that's a bit refreshing," she smiled. "Let me rephrase-everyone wants to inquire about my thoughts; you probably want to know as well, but you aren't pushing or asking."

"You need to sort through things; my asking isn't going to help that along," Andy pointed out. "Plus, I think we are doing a good job as a team right now. We don't need to change anything, especially if you don't want to change things. I'm okay with that. I get to see Brady and you throughout the week. I'm good with that."

She nodded, looking down, "I want to make sure you don't confuse my feelings. Just because I don't want to jump into a relationship doesn't mean I don't care about you or think you are a wonderful man, a wonderful father," she stammered. "Even Ricky mentioned it the other day, what a nice guy you are, and I totally agree," she smiled softly, meeting his gaze. "I also pointed out to him, and granted, I don't want to get into a relationship discussion with my son, but he is going to ask questions since you are Brady's dad," she explained and continued, "I pointed out that you are going to be around a lot, and for me at least, I don't want to jeopardize that. I thought about things a lot while I was away, Andy, and I hope this doesn't upset you, but I can't date you, at least not right now. I don't know if I'll ever be able to do so, but I just can't. My older kids didn't have a good dad, and I want that for Brady. You are a great dad. I can't let our, well, whatever this is," she gestured her hands around as she was getting more and more flustered before she tried again, "I can't start up something with you, have it turn into a disaster, and then have that affect Brady."

Andy listened, not even convinced this was what Sharon wanted for herself, but now was not the time to question that. He listened because he respected and cared for Sharon, probably more than he could even admit to himself. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the conclusion she had come to at this point, but he had a feeling she'd back off, now that they'd shared a few kisses recently. He decided to clarify things with her, "Okay," he sighed. "Just so I know, what's dating? Are you saying you don't want me around as much? You don't want to do things together with Brady? You don't want me to sit next to you at either of our homes like we do when we are holding Brady? You don't want to hug me? What's this all really mean, Sharon?"

Sharon took a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts, "Can we leave it at nothing more than what we're already doing?" At Andy's questioning gaze, she had to clarify, "I mean, let's not go any further than what we've been doing these past few months, since Brady has been born."

Andy was confused; this conversation was confusing, but in the end, he was starting to get the idea Sharon hated the IDEA of dating, the connotation to the word, not necessarily spending her time with him. She was afraid of anything more, basically the physical aspect of a relationship, at least, that's how it sounded, but what Andy wished she would realize, what he knew, was dating was so much more than physical. It was trusting a person, learning about a person, spending time with a person, all many of the things they were already doing. "So, I've kissed you. You've kissed me. That's not dating?"

She shrugged, sighing, "I don't know, Andy. I guess it didn't bother me," she said, and realizing how badly that sounded, her eyes grew big, and she clarified again, "I mean, I did enjoy that. I don't think a simple kiss, the gesture of it, is a problem. If it is, we don't have to kiss. It's not like it's all the time either," she waved her hand, trying to laugh it off. Andy recognized that as nervous laughter, and decided to just go with that.

"Okay, a simple kiss hello or good-bye, that's okay, then?" he asked.

"I guess," she said. "If it becomes too much, we can discuss that. I also want you to know I'm not trying to hold you back. If you want to date someone else, Andy, we share Brady. I'm not stopping you from being happy. Many people share a child, but then have others in their life."

Andy offered a slight frown; that wasn't what he wanted at all, but again, from what he knew of Sharon, she was just scared right now. He wasn't going to push. "Sharon, that's not what I want," he told her.

"Maybe not now, but someday," she shrugged.

He put his hands on the sides of her arms. She was standing against the car looking up at him, "Is this okay?" he gestured to the light touch he had with his hands on her arms. She was cold; he could see that, and he realized she'd left her coat in the car. He rubbed her arms slightly to warm her up.

"Yes, that's okay," she smiled to him.

"Good," he nodded as he continued, "Sharon, I'm perfectly happy with things right now. I have enjoyed these past few months getting to know you and our son. I'm looking forward to the future, whatever that holds. As I've gotten to know you, I know there's an internal battle going on in your head. You don't have to battle with me. I'm good right now. I promise," he leaned in almost whispering it to her.

She nodded, and then her eyes met his. "Thank you," she let out a breath. She leaned in too, meeting him finally and kissed him quickly. "I appreciate you, Andy, very much. I am very grateful you are in my life, in Brady's life, and I'll do anything I can to give Brady two loving parents."

Andy just nodded, running his hands on her arms again, gesturing to the door, "Let's get you home," he offered, almost wanting to chuckle in that, Sharon saying she didn't want to date just spent an evening out with Andy, an evening that was ending with her kissing him, but it wasn't a date. "You're cold." Sharon nodded, and Andy opened the car door, running her last comment over and over in his head. "Two loving parents," Sharon had said. Andy thought about that, knowing the simple meaning behind that could work; it would work. They could be two parents who loved their son, but in the back of his head, he filed away that maybe someday, they could be two people who loved each other and their son. Maybe, but if and when that could happen, he didn't know. Right now, he would continue on with things the way they were, not dating, but where apparently, spending all their time together and even kissing here and there, was okay. One day, he might call the bluff, but for now, he was content.


	31. Chapter 31

"So, you're telling me you spend all this time raising a kid together, you spend all your time with her, you take the kid out together, you're allowed to kiss her, you offer to pay for everything although she refuses, but you're not dating?" Provenza asked. "Where do I sign up for that?" he flashed a huge smile, one thing Provenza didn't do often.

"Ha ha, funny guy," Andy grumbled. The two were sitting at Andy's house, Brady asleep down the hall. It was December 23, almost Christmas, and Brady was spending the night with Andy. He and Sharon had worked out the details. Brady had spent most of the week with her again after all day Sunday with Andy. He had been serious about Brady spending some time with Sharon's parents, so Brady had been in their care during the day while both Sharon and Andy had been at work. Sharon had invited him to dinner at the condo earlier in the evening, and after dinner, she'd offered to let him take Brady home. He was thrilled to do so, but when he arrived at his house, he found Provenza waiting for him on his couch. He really needed to get his key back from that guy, but Provenza had made himself at home, ordering a pizza and turning on a college football bowl game. Andy had put Brady to bed, who was almost asleep after the drive from Sharon's house, and now, he was explaining things to Provenza. Both men had the next three days off work for Christmas, so there was no urgency to wrap up the evening.

"I'm just trying to understand this. She wants to keep you around, but she doesn't want to commit? Is that it? Is she wanting more from you, Flynn?" Provenza asked, giving him the eye at what the "more" could entail. "Wait, don't answer that. I don't want to know."

"No!" Andy said, exasperated. "That's just it. She's told me she doesn't want a relationship, but I've had to ask what that means. I think it ends up meaning she doesn't want anything physical, well, except for kissing. That's just it," he shook his head, "she's said she's fine with that and even wants to hold my hand sometimes, but nothing more. Honestly, I think she's a mess and is scared at the word, not realizing her actions and what we already have together equals a relationship! We've had the two extremes. We were all hot and heavy for a few brief encounters, and now, it's the opposite. She wants to raise Brady, but nothing more," he exclaimed, instantly lowering his voice, remembering Brady is sleeping down the hall.

"Well, I can't blame her for not wanting your sorry self," Provenza made a disgusted face at Andy. "Woman might be smarter than I realized,probably realized she could do better."

"Oh, shove it," Andy grumbled, standing up to pace. "Look, I haven't pushed her for anything, and for now, I'm not going to. We've got a good thing, and I really care about her," he started to continue, but Provenza stopped him.

"Don't even say it," Provenza pointed to Andy. "The word you are thinking, it's not allowed here. No one can even like that lady let alone," he shuddered, "say another term of endearment about her. Flynn, I'm warning you!"

"I'm going to say it!" Andy exclaimed again. "I could see myself even loving her. She's really a fantastic person. Brady deserves that, and I don't say that to just force us to be a family. I deserve that; she deserves that, and if we can find that together, then I think we should try. She'd just too afraid to put a label on what we've already started to build together. What if this is what is right? What if we are supposed to be a family? I'm not going to give up on her or walk away because she's still figuring out what she wants or what a relationship is to her."

Provenza pretended to look around Andy's house, "Are we on a talk show? Is there some hidden camera? I came over here to watch football, and I've got a whining Flynn, and I don't mean the baby! Maybe I should watch football with him!"

"Give him time!" Andy barked. "As soon as he's able to talk, I'm sure he'll be complaining about you too. He's got to be a smart kid; Sharon's his mom, after all. Why do I bother talking to you? You're no help."

"Alright, fine," Provenza raised a hand. "Just don't do something stupid like go and drink. So, you're giving her some time and space to figure out things. That's not a horrible idea. It's not like she's running to some other guy, Flynn."

"Yeah," Andy ran a hand through his hair. "I know. I just hate wasting time, you know? I want Brady to have a real family. We're sharing him just fine, but is that enough? Plus, she puts the idea out there, like if I want to date someone, go ahead, or in the future when we are dating other people-it's just not what I want, and I don't think, deep down, it's what she wants either."

"It might be," Provenza shrugged. "Instead of focusing on what could be, just focus on what is. You've got a great kid, Flynn, three great kids, in fact. You and Baby Momma are talking and getting along. Let things just develop as they may. While I might not understand the attraction, she'll probably come around. If she's letting you kiss her, then she's obviously into that," he gestured to Andy's body with a horrified expression on his face. Andy rolled his eyes at Provenza.

"You're so charming. I can't understand why you've had four marriages. I'm the idiot for thinking you might be a good person to talk to about this," Andy grumbled.

"Well, what did you get her for Christmas? Knowing you, I'm sure you got the captain something," Provenza inquired.

"I got her two things, really, once nice thing and one more thoughtful gift," he admitted.

"And that is?" Provenza prompted Andy.

"I got her a bracelet with Brady's birthstone. I think she'll like it. Randomly one day, she mentioned she had bracelets with her other kids' birthstones, so I filed that away. I thought about getting her one with all three, but I kind of figured I'd give her one for Brady; he's my son, and I thought it would be nice."

"Okay, that's a decent gift, Flynn, more than I spent on my wives when we were married. What's the other thing?" he asked.

"I'm not sure if she'll like it, but I got her a framed photo, actually two for her and one for Brady. I got her a framed photo of the three of us. It was just a simple photo Ricky took of us the other day. I had the frame, but I was hoping for a recent picture. Monday evening, she suggested we all meet for dinner, Ricky, her parents, and of course Brady, so after work, we met them all at this place by the beach. Ricky offered to take a photo of the three of us. She and I were sitting on one side of the table with Brady in the high chair, and he was across from us with Sharon's parents. It was a nice photo," he shrugged. "I have a framed photo for Brady too, a Christmas gift for him, and that's the one from the benefit the other night."

"You mentioned you got her two photos. One was the happy family, but what was the other? Did you give her one from the benefit too?" Provenza asked.

"No," Andy shook his head, "that's the surprise I hope she likes. I took Brady to a photographer. I set up one of those photo sessions, and I had his six-month pictures taken. It's not just one photo, but several from that."

"Flynn, you'll have her bawling like a baby over pictures of the kid!" Provenza exclaimed. "If that doesn't get her doing anything and everything you want," he shuddered, "I don't' know what will."

"It's not all about the physical stuff, Provenza!" Andy sputtered. "For once, get your mind out of the gutter. Yeah, that's part of a real relationship, but I want more than just that. Look, I'm not looking for just some good time."

"Yeah," Provenza huffed, "you already had that with her. I'm guessing she's wised up and discovered you're no catch."

"Oh, shut up," Andy said, now irritated. "I believe things happen for a reason. We had a chemistry, yes, and obviously, that led to Brady, but I believe there's also a reason we found each other in the same workplace, just a couple floors from each other. Provenza, we have something special, or we could, if she'll ever get out of her own head."

"Question is, Flynn-how long are you planning to wait and find out?" Provenza asked, as the room went silent.

Andy thought about his conversation with Provenza the next afternoon as he and Brady drove to Sharon's place. It was now Christmas Eve, and he'd been invited to spend the evening with Sharon and her family. He wasn't staying the whole evening because he'd reached out to his kids and was going to have Christmas with them at his house. They were going to come over for dinner, a dinner he'd already prepared that morning while Brady took his morning nap. He'd made a lasagna with a salad, ready for the oven, and the kids were due to come over around 7:00. He planned to put his lasagna in around the same time, so he didn't need to be home much before that. It was now just after lunch, so he would have a few hours to see Sharon's family. Emily had made it home late Monday evening, after the dinner at the beach the rest of the family had enjoyed. That had been part of the reason he'd been invited back over for dinner the night before; Emily was finally home, and Sharon had wanted Emily and Andy to get to know each other better. He was getting to know Sharon's parents better too, now after meeting them the night of the benefit, having dinner at the beach with them, and then last night's dinner. With the small space, he was sure he would be grilled by them again today, but so far, it had gone well. Andy was getting to know Sharon's family, and they hadn't asked him anything too personal, yet. They seemed to like him, even after the circumstances he'd entered their lives.

Brady was babbling away as Andy pulled into the visitor parking downstairs. He was going to come by again tomorrow, Christmas morning, to see Brady again, so he hadn't brought his gifts with him. He'd bring those in the morning. Sharon had offered to let Brady go back home with Andy and pick him up later after he'd seen his kids, but he'd told her she could have Brady for the evening. It was Christmas Eve, and he knew she really wanted all her kids with her at Mass. She wasn't going to the normal Mass at midnight; it was just too late to try and keep Brady out, even if he might sleep, but anymore, that wasn't guaranteed. So, the plan was when Andy left to go have Christmas with his other kids, Sharon and family were going to head to Mass. It would give Andy some quality time with his older kids, and he would have all three kids together on the 26th, his last day off for Christmas. Nicole and Nate had promised to come over and spend the day with him, along with Brady, and that was something he was very much looking forward to, just as he was this Christmas Eve. With Brady in hand, he took the elevator to Sharon's floor. She'd told him not to knock; the door would be open, so he entered the condo, surprised at how quiet the place was.

"Sharon?" he called out, assuming someone was there. The door was unlocked.

"In the kitchen," she called out, and Andy walked with Brady toward the kitchen. He put the car seat down on the dining room table to take Brady out of it, but before that, he turned to Sharon who was baking cookies.

"Hi there, Merry Christmas Eve," he smiled to her, "smells good."

"Thank you," she said, putting the last cookie on the cooling rack from the batch. She wiped her hands on her apron and made her way over to Andy and Brady. "Merry Christmas Eve to you."

"Hi, my sweet boy," Sharon smiled brightly, kissing Brady's head.

"I already told you hi," Andy winked at her. Sharon rolled his eyes at his corny joke.

"Well, hi again," she leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. Andy had thought a lot about the kissing part from their conversation the other day and decided for now, he was going to let Sharon initiate it, not that he didn't want to kiss her. He wasn't sure he could stop kissing her if he started, but he also knew she was trying to work through things in her head, so for now, he was letting her kiss him. It was a way to gauge her comfort level, and he found that she'd been giving him a quick peck on the lips at least every time they saw each other lately. Now, once she'd kissed him, he felt comfortable to kiss her back, and often their quick pecks turned into two at a time-one from Sharon and then one from Andy. This time was no different, and he lightly brushed his hands over her shoulders as he returned the kiss. The two smiled at each other as Andy stepped back then to give her some space.

"It's quite around here," he pointed out. "Where is everyone? I thought with it being Christmas Eve, you'd be playing Christmas music and spending the afternoon with everyone."

"They should be back soon. I needed a couple of things from the grocery store, and they all decided to go," Sharon explained as she started to unbuckle Brady. Once he was out, Sharon peppered him with kisses.

Andy nodded as she explained where everyone was. He watched Sharon's joy as she greeted Brady, chuckling softly as she kissed him, "Never thought I'd be jealous of my own son."

Sharon, who now had Brady on her hip, started to say something to Andy. She stopped herself, leaned up, and kissed him quickly again, this time on the cheek, "No need to be jealous, Andy," she smiled. "You Flynns can share me."

"Right, yeah," he nodded to her, waving off the conversation. He loved hearing Sharon call Brady a Flynn, but he could tell she was trying to get out of an awkward conversation. "So, any plans for the afternoon?"

"I'm actually glad we have a moment alone," she told him, as she moved to put Brady in his saucer toy. It was circular with toys all around it, and he could stand in it, supported of course, to play. He loved the toy, and while they had only planned to get one last month when they had gone to the store, Andy quickly saw that it had become Brady's new favorite toy and bought one the next week for his house too. Brady started right in on his toys while Sharon moved back to the kitchen to finish her baking.

"Oh?" Andy questioned with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you about your Christmas present," she explained.

"My present?" Andy asked. "Sharon, you didn't need to get me anything. We never talked about gifts."

She glared at him, pointing her spatula, "Did you get me a Christmas gift?"

"Well, yeah, I did, but that's different," he tried to explain.

"How is that different, Andy?" Sharon threw her hands up in question. "We're friends; we're Brady's parents. I'm not surprised you got me a gift, not that I expect one, but I know you. So, don't be surprised I got you one too."

"Okay, fine," he nodded to her. "I didn't bring yours, though. I was going to bring it tomorrow. So, what did you want to talk about?"

She wiped off her hands again and turned to him, "I wasn't sure how you would feel about this gift idea. It's nothing to physically give you now," she started to explain. Andy could tell she was fidgeting and maybe even a bit nervous.

"Go on," he encouraged. "Sharon, what's got you nervous all of a sudden?"

She let out a long sigh, "My parents have a timeshare in Utah. They let us take turns with it. Some years, we often get together there to ski. Some years, we trade it with other places for other vacations. This year, no one in the family can use Utah. I love to ski, as do Emily and Ricky, but with them in college and Brady still too young, it's much harder. My sister is the same way, and she lives back East too, making it even more of an issue. Anyway, I'm the only one with any real vacation time, so my parents told me I could have the week to do whatever I would like. I've looked into it, and I'd really like to take Brady on vacation. I tried to find a way to go on vacation with all the kids, but I'm in a more limited window with my timeshare week. Plus, with Emily graduating and moving this coming summer, everything is up in the air. What I'm trying to say, Andy," she paused to catch her breath after spitting out all of that quickly, "is that I'd like to take Brady on vacation, and I'd like you to go with me, with us. We get along well here, and I thought we would do just fine taking him on a trip. I've considered things, and I can do a week timeshare swap in Hawaii, a two-bedroom condo, so, for Christmas, I'd like to give you that trip. I pay," she glared at him. "Food, travel-my treat. The condo is paid, and with us already being in LA, tickets shouldn't be too bad." Sharon finally stopped talking and could feel her cheeks getting flushed. She looked to Andy who stood there bewildered. "I didn't want to assume anything and buy the tickets before talking to you."

"Wait, so your Christmas present as you are calling it," he started, "is a trip to Hawaii, all expenses paid, for the three of us?"

Sharon nodded, "Yes, I mean, you'll have your own space, your own room. Brady can stay in either your room or mine; we can decide that later or move him from one room to the other, and for the airplane, he can still sit on my lap, so he doesn't have to pay for a seat. Look, Andy, I know I work too hard, and I'd really like to take more vacations with Brady. I couldn't do that easily with Emily and Ricky, mainly because Jack took every dime I'd saved, and then I was just a single mom with two young kids. I'm much better off financially now, and my parents do have this timeshare. It's going to have to be the middle of February; that's when I can get the dates. They can't use it this year, and I can. I want Brady to remember growing up with vacations, and yes," she rolled her eyes, "I'm aware he's too young to remember this, but I want to start now while he's little. Now, does that mean you have to go on every vacation? No, of course not," Sharon shook her head. "We are going to have our own lives as he grows up, but I thought that for now, while he is little and we are doing such a good job sharing him, we could both enjoy a week away. I'm going to go and wanted to offer it to you as well, especially since it means a week away with Brady, and I didn't want to just whisk him away without talking to you; this seemed like a better idea. I know you are tight with two in college, just like I am, but I've been saving for this, as my parents told me about this awhile ago. The condo is covered. We can eat some of the meals there, and when we go out to explore or to eat," she paused to find the right word, "I just think it would be nice for both of us to experience this with Brady."

Andy had a lot he could say, a lot he wanted to say, even some questions. Most of it centered around asking Sharon about her idea of dating and family again, but he chose not to say anything like that. He knew that would only fluster her even more than she was now. Basically, she was wanting them to go on vacation with Brady, but she wasn't willing to call it anything more than "use of the timeshare" for her parents. "Well, I've never been to Hawaii," he told her. "I'd have to put in for leave, but I have a lot of that. Like you, I haven't taken vacations much, if at all, for years. This past year, taking Nate around to look at schools, that's the most time I've taken off in I can't remember when. As long as I can get the time off, I'm in," he smiled. "Thank you. I didn't realize how much I needed a vacation, but now with it on the table, I'm getting excited about it."

Andy could see the relief on Sharon's face and knew it took a lot for her to ask him that. Now that she had, he could see she was genuinely happy about it, happy he was going to go. "Thank you," she smiled warmly at him. "I don't know why I was worried about your answer, but I guess I got to thinking that if you weren't interested, that I suddenly didn't have a Christmas present for you."

Andy chuckled, not wanting to tell her that her nervousness wasn't the result of her potential lack of a Christmas present, but her nervousness was a result of the implications of a trip like this, not that he was going to push any boundaries. He figured he had a pretty good deal with this, a vacation with Sharon and Brady, and while she was terrified of calling their arrangement anything, he was still getting the opportunity to spend time with his son and the woman he was enjoying more and more. Instead, he calmed her nerves further by saying, "I'll put in for the time off at work. If you get me the exact dates, I can do that when I go back to work in a couple of days. We'll have a great time with Brady."

Sharon nodded, "We will, and I partly thought this would be enjoyable because it would give each of us time with him and time alone. You can go off and explore, snorkel, whatever you like, and I'll keep him. We can trade. That way, we each get a little vacation to enjoy whatever we want. I don't want you to feel like we have to do the same activities; yes, I'm asking you to go, but it's really for Brady," she nodded.

"We'll discuss details as it gets closer. Now, that little guy," he nodded to Brady who had stopped playing and was looking up at them, "is looking like he's about ready for an afternoon snack. I bet he'd like his bottle."

"Right," Sharon nodded. "I need to finish this last batch of cookies."

"I'll feed him then," he told her and started toward the kitchen to prepare Brady's bottle. He snagged a cookie as he was working.

"Mmm, those are great," he said between bites. "I'll have to grab a couple more of those."

Sharon laughed, as she worked on the batter. Andy got the bottle ready and sat at the dining room table with Brady to feed him so he could talk to Sharon. They talked for just a few minutes before the rest of the family arrived home.

"Why, hello, Andy," Sue smiled to him. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you," he replied. "Sorry, I'd get up, but someone would complain about that," he nodded to Brady.

"Oh, stay there," she waved him off, putting her purse down. The rest of the group put the groceries on the counter.

"Andy, can I get you a beer or a glass of wine?" Bill asked as he started to unpack the grocery bags. "I know you aren't working today, and we just bought out half the store's alcohol supply."

Sharon's eyes met Andy's; she hadn't told her parents about Andy being an alcoholic, partly because she didn't want them to judge Andy or compare him to Jack. It hadn't been an issue the other times he'd been over this week since he had come from work, and it had been late, but now, he was going to have to address it.

"Ahh, no thanks, Bill," Andy told him.

"Sure I can't get you something? I could make you something stronger if you like," he offered.

"No, I'm an alcoholic," he told the group. Silence filled the room quickly, and Sharon felt several eyes turn toward her.

"Andy's been sober for six years now," Sharon said with a smile, trying to catch Andy's eye, wanting to clarify to her parents she was well aware of his past.

"Oh," Sue said, a slight frown on her face. "I guess you won't want a drink then."

"No, but please, don't worry about me. Have whatever you like; it doesn't bother me at all," Andy told them.

Andy's admission had caused a bit of discomfort with everyone. Ricky turned to the group, "I'm going to give my friend Dave a call. He called me when we were at the store," he explained and disappeared down the hall. Emily walked over to Sharon and offered to finish the cookies, while Sharon and her parents stood there awkwardly. Andy met her gaze and she just nodded to him. He finished feeding Brady his bottle.

"Maybe we could take Brady on a walk?" Sharon suggested, trying to break the tension.

"Sounds good," Bill nodded. "Andy and I will take Brady out. Andy, let's go," he said, not asked, and Sharon mouthed a quick, 'I'm sorry' to Andy. He wanted to get a word in with her, but Sharon's parents were clearly a bit rattled by his admission and wanted time to talk to both Andy and Sharon. Sharon grabbed Brady's coat and a blanket, wondering who was going to have the more awkward conversation-Andy with her dad or Sharon with her mom?


	32. Chapter 32

"Merry Christmas," Sharon smiled at Andy as she met him at his car. She'd asked him to call her when he arrived and had promised to walk downstairs to help him with his presents.

"Merry Christmas, Sharon," he smiled warmly at her, stopping what he was doing to turn and look at her. She looked casual, but beautiful in her long red sweater with black pants. Not many could pull off the look effective-casual, yet elegant, but Sharon could. She had a long necklace over the sweater that he wasn't sure he'd seen before.

"What can I help you with here?" she asked, eyeing the packages he had with him.

"Well, you can take this, and that bag there," he nodded. "I'll get the rest." The two managed to get into Sharon's building with everything, but before they started toward the elevator, Sharon nodded toward the lobby seating area.

"Can we talk for a minute?" she asked. With Andy's nod, she continued, "I didn't get much of a chance to speak to you alone yesterday after the grand inquisition I fear we both faced, and I wanted to talk to you a minute before we went another round with my family."

"Good idea," Andy said, putting down the bags and turning toward Sharon. She'd put the bags she was carrying in a chair and looked to another chair. She was nervous, he could tell, and not sure if she wanted to sit down or stand. He took her hand and walked to the couch, suggesting they sit. Sharon agreed and both sat, facing each other, knees almost touching.

"I want to apologize for," she paused, not sure if she wanted to start the way she had, and then she started speaking again, "I'm sorry for yesterday. I didn't mean for my family to grill you about your alcoholism. That was my fault, that they didn't know; I should have told them before yesterday. I felt like my not saying anything made it a bigger deal than it needed to be."

"Hey," he took her hand, "no apology. Never apologize for my being an alcoholic. That is my lot in life. I could have and should have said something myself before then, but even yesterday, I didn't deny it or hide it. I'm sorry it was an issue, that it's always going to be an issue, Sharon. I can't change what I am, but I can try to be a better man each day."

"I know," Sharon squeezed at his hand. "I told my mom a lot of that, that you never try to hide it and try to better yourself because of it."

"I do," he nodded. "Your dad was concerned too, but more about you having already gone down this road before too."

"Jack was a lot different, still is a lot different," she told him. "Jack still doesn't want to admit he's an alcoholic, and you've been a better father to Brady already than he's been to either Emily or Ricky. He started drinking when I was pregnant with Emily, and he was never really interested in helping with the day to day with her. It's been very different with you; you do anything and everything for Brady. I tried to convince myself things would be better after Jack got out of law school, that having a job that required him in court a great deal would change the behavior. It didn't, and in that time trying to convince myself of that, I also convinced myself that another baby would help. It didn't help with Jack," she sighed, but she did manage a small smile. "I guess it helped with me, our family, though. I always wanted several kids, and I was delighted with Ricky and Emily. I just should not have been so stupid to think adding kids would get him to stop drinking. If anything, it got worse. My parents know all that, and I am sorry that they are judging you based on Jack. I tried to make it very clear to them no two alcoholics, just like no two people, are alike."

"Well, thanks," he nodded, "but, please don't feel you need to defend me to your parents. I do not want to come between you and your parents. They are good people; I can tell that, and I know they've been there for you through all the Jack years. I don't want to be a problem, so tell me if I'm causing one, or the mere mention of my alcoholism is causing a problem. I won't walk out on Brady or helping you with Brady, but I can be around less when they are here if it's a problem."

"It's not a problem," Sharon said instantly, not letting Andy give her any room to argue. "I reminded them they liked you before they knew about your past and thought you were doing a good job with things. I asked them to keep an open mind, to trust my judgement too," she rolled her eyes, "which, I know has been questionable at times. I don't expect any issues."

Andy was about to say something, but his phone rang. He dug it out, throwing a grimace at Sharon. "It's Provenza. We're not on call, so hopefully it's not work related. Let me take it quickly. Don't go anywhere," he asked of her, patting her hand. She nodded and sat there while he answered the call.

"Did you find the lump of coal I left you?" Andy barked into the phone. Sharon put her hand over her face and started to laugh. As she thought about Andy and Provenza, her mind started to wander, and she thought back to the conversation she'd had with her mom on the balcony yesterday, the conversation all about Andy. She and her mom had stepped out onto the balcony away from the kids to talk after Andy and her dad had taken Brady for a walk.

 _"An alcoholic? Oh, Sharon, why in the world do you keep making the same mistakes? Didn't you learn from Jack?" her mom sighed._

 _"Of course, I did!" Sharon acknowledged. "Mom, Andy is different. You've seen that. Alcoholism is part of him, yes, but there's much more to him than that. Jack has never admitted to being an alcoholic. Andy's been sober for six years. There's a difference, a huge difference."_

 _"The tendency is still there," her mom pointed out. "Jack valued alcohol over you and the kids. What if Andy slips? He could. I'm guessing that had to do with his own divorce, am I right? You are trying to convince me he's different, yet I'm guessing alcohol ruined his first marriage just as it did yours. You're letting him into your life, and he could crush it."_

 _"Mom, he's doing everything he can to stay sober! Life isn't perfect. No one is perfect. I was dealt these circumstances. Yes, I made bad choices with Jack. Clearly. Yes, I made a stupid decision when I lusted after Andy without knowing him. That was stupid and reckless; I know that. I even knew then he was an alcoholic, but I wanted him. Yes, you're hearing this. We're both grown women. Never in my wildest dream did I think I would end up pregnant. I was even on birth control, and yet, there was a different plan for my life. I never expected to find Andy, but he works two floors below me, and our son attends day care between our floors. I never even asked him for help, nor did I expect any, yet, he's been a wonderful father to Brady so far. He's contributed financially, and he's been supportive. He loves Brady. I can't predict the future, but I'm very grateful for what he's done so far. Jack never showed this kind of interest in our kids, and he let alcohol consume him more and more as the kids got older. Andy doesn't; he attends meetings and fights to stay sober. He's Brady's dad, end of discussion. I can't change that, and I can't change his past. It's made him the man he is today, good or bad, and I'd like to think he's a very good man."_

 _"Sharon, alcohol can ruin lives," her mom sighed again._

 _Sharon nodded, "I'm fully aware of that and have been on the receiving end of that. Recovering alcoholics can also be loving, productive people. I give people a second chance; it's what I do. Granted, I gave Jack way too many chances, but I give people a second chance. Andy hasn't messed up or slipped up with me. I pray he won't. Brady deserves to know his dad, faults and all, and I hope that Andy can continue to be the loving father he has been. Mom, I'm not perfect either. I've had a habit of letting Jack walk all over me, and I am not going to let another man do that."_

 _"Sharon, your dad and I worry about you. We love you, Emily, Ricky, and Brady. We were shocked when you told us you were pregnant again, yet we weren't going to abandon you for the choices in life you made. Sleeping around, Sharon," her mom shook her head, "that's not how we raised you, yet we've tried to be understanding and supportive."_

 _Sharon nodded, "I'm not going to abandon Andy as Brady's father for the choices he's made. Brady was the result of two people's decisions, not one. Andy could have walked away when he found out about Brady; he didn't. He's always admitted his mistakes, as I've been trying to do as well. All he can do, all I can do, is learn from them and move forward."_

 _"It sounds like you want a life with him, to move forward with him. Sharon, he's an alcoholic," her mom repeated._

 _"Mom, he's Brady's dad. I can't count how many times I've tried to tell you we aren't dating; we aren't together. We spend time together because we are raising Brady and trying to do it in a positive light. I see him in my future, as Brady's dad. Anything else," she sighed, "I'm not-we're friends."_

 _"Yes, and your family vacation," she gestured, "Sharon, you are taking a family vacation, call it what you want, but that's what it is."_

 _"Mom, I've told you we are going as Brady's parents, nothing more! I told him about the trip before you came home, and he's okay with it. I told him we could trade off Brady so the other could do whatever he or she wanted, ALONE. He's fine with that. I've told him that as Brady grows up, we'll have to get used to seeing each other with maybe a significant other, and he knows that."_

 _"So, you'd be fine if he wanted to bring a girlfriend on this vacation?" her mom asked._

 _"He won't do that!" Sharon scoffed._

 _"What if he did?" her mom asked, eyebrows raised._

 _Sharon got flustered as she tried to answer, "He's not dating anyone. This is for Brady. He wouldn't bring someone else."_

 _"Maybe not this trip," her mom shrugged, "but, how would you feel if he did that next time you suggest something like this? Sharon, I'm concerned. You seem to be hiding how you feel. Are you hiding how Andy's alcoholism affects his life too? Is he really sober? Are you hiding that too? Sharon, you can't always hope for people to be what you want."_

 _"No! He's not drinking! He's not dating someone else. Andy is a good man, and I'm not hiding things about him, about me. I'm not hiding our relationship because we don't have one! Mom, this is getting insane!" Sharon exclaimed._

 _"Sharon, you know we were never fans of Jack, and that only got worse as he started drinking. One thing I can tell you that your dad and I have both observed and commented on, well before we knew that alcohol played a part in this-Andy has treated you better, Brady better, then Jack ever did. Call him what you want, but that's impressed us in just the short time we've met him. We've heard you speak of him over the past few months, and both of us were pleased with his involvement; I just hope what we heard has been the truth and there isn't more you are hiding from us. I'm worried now hearing about the alcoholism, but I am going to try and remind myself that he was an alcoholic when we met him the other day too, that his actions toward you and Brady are all still while he's been an alcoholic. I truly hope he can continue to be a good father to Brady and a good friend, if that's what you call him, to you. I want to caution you, though, because you do seem to gravitate toward people who drink their sorrows away. You also seem to miss what is right in front of you, good or bad."_

 _"Well, Mom," Sharon sighed, "everyone has their own problems. Andy might deal with alcoholism, but I feel I deal with a hidden problem, one not as visible, but maybe even worse in ways. I can't trust; I want to trust, but I've had it broken. I can't easily open my life to anyone. Jack was a huge part of that, but it's my lot in life. It's hard to find a way to repair that. You think I can't see things in front of me? Of course, I can! I'm a detective!"_

 _"Sharon," her mom shook her head, "we love you very much. You still have a lot of love left to give. There's no formula for trust; people have to earn it over time. Proceed with caution-in every aspect. Be cautious of Andy with the drinking. Be cautious of your own judgement and past mistakes. Sharon, I wish you had a loving marriage like your father and I did, a marriage you could say would last 50, 60 years. You haven't had that, but you can still have a bright future. I don't know what that includes, except for your three wonderful children, but proceed with caution, please. Life is too short. And, don't miss what's going on right before your eyes."_

Sharon snapped out of her memory as she heard Andy telling Provenza not to get caught under any mistletoe. She smiled and chuckled at the men's conversation; it truly was absurd. He hung up and turned back to Sharon, an eye roll toward his phone, as he chuckled.

"Sorry, Provenza," he said. "Just called to annoy me and pretend like he wasn't wishing me a Merry Christmas."

Sharon nodded, "Sounded like it."

"He also asked when I would have Brady and said Santa left something for Brady at his house," Andy said as he rolled his eyes again.

"He's a big teddy bear," Sharon smiled, "and loves Brady."

"Yeah, I know," Andy admitted. "I have a feeling he might have gotten Brady a big teddy bear."

Sharon smiled and cleared her throat, "Andy, I hope we can go upstairs and it not be awkward."

"I promise to behave, Sharon," he told her.

She shook her head, "I'm not worried about you. Don't change who you are. Just know that my parents are protective of me, even though I'm all grown up," she smiled. "I've asked them to not compare you to Jack, but as even I know, old habits die hard. I still remind myself that all the time."

"Understood," he patted her hand. "Look, I get that your parents are worried about you, especially hanging around the likes of me. They barely know me, and what they know about alcoholics from Jack, it's not good. I hope, in time, and with my actions, they will see I'm sincere and care very much."

Sharon nodded and stood, "You know, you will have to tell me about the conversation you had with my dad sometime," she looked to him.

He stood, shaking his head, "Nope, it doesn't need to be retold. We had a good talk. Brady was there; ask him what was said," Andy flashed a smile. "I can imagine I would want to have a word with any guy hanging around Nicole I found out was an alcoholic too. Now, if the guy had gotten her pregnant," he shook his head, "well, that guy might not be alive to see his own kid, so I think your dad is pretty accepting of me already."

"Andy, I'm a grown woman," Sharon crossed her arms, as if irritated. "I don't need my dad to fight my battles."

"Oh, well aware, Captain," he winked. "Definitely well aware of both things-you certainly don't need people to fight your battles, and I'm more than aware you are a beautiful woman."

"I didn't say that," she glared at him, arms still crossed.

"I did," he stated.


	33. Chapter 33

She was having trouble focusing. She glanced around her office, smiling when she got to the framed photos of Brady. He'd changed a lot even since the photos has been taken. Andy told her he'd had those pictures taken the beginning of December, just as Brady was turning six months old. The framed photos had been a lovely Christmas present; she cherished each and every photo, putting a couple at work and the rest at home. Even her parents had seemed to appreciate Andy's gesture of taking Brady for his six-month pictures. He had photos for the whole family, Christmas presents, a gesture that seemed to go a long way in mending some of the tension surrounding the alcoholism issues.

Christmas was now over, had been for quite awhile. Sharon couldn't focus at work because she knew in less than a day, she would be on her way to Hawaii. 10 days off to bask in the sun and relax; she had to smile at that, and she smiled even more when she thought about the great time she, Brady, and Andy would have on their trip. 10 days was longer than she'd originally planned, but after telling Andy about the trip and hearing that he'd never been to Hawaii before, they amended the plans.

 _"The condo is on the beach in Maui," Sharon had explained over the phone Christmas night. Andy had taken Brady home with him after spending the day with Sharon and her family, and Andy was excited to spend all of December 26 with his three kids. He'd called Sharon late that night, well after he'd gotten Brady to bed, to thank her for a nice day. The two had started talking about the trip to Hawaii, Andy telling Sharon he was starting to get excited about it. "We've got the condo for a full week. I haven't bought the airline tickets yet, but I will plan to do that as soon as we both get our vacation time approved," she continued to explain._

 _"I really want to thank you again for inviting me, Sharon," he said softly. "I'm looking forward to it, and I can't wait to take Brady into the pool and the ocean."_

 _"Hmmm, yes, he will be a lot of fun. He's already a lot of fun, but another seven weeks from now, he'll be that much older," she said. "Too bad he won't remember the trip."_

 _"Oh, I'll remember it, though, my first trip ever to Hawaii. So, Maui, that's not where Pearl Harbor is, is it?" Andy asked._

 _"No," Sharon told him. "That's Oahu. We can go there if you like," she offered._

 _"Oh, no, it's fine," he told her. "Just wondering. I always thought that would be something to see."_

 _"Let's go see it," Sharon told Andy. "I have only been there once, and it was a really long time ago when the kids were small. We're already going to be there, in Hawaii, and we can take a quick flight from one island to another. Why don't we stay a week in Maui, and then we can just find a hotel in Oahu for a couple more days? It wouldn't add too much to the trip, and there's a lot to see anywhere you go in Hawaii."_

 _"Sharon, we don't have to add more to the trip. You, yourself, said that you had it planned and budgeted," Andy pointed out._

 _"How about this," she offered, "put in for 10 days off if you can miss that long. I'll make it happen. I'll find us somewhere to stay that meets our needs, and we'll see Hawaii. If I can't fit it into the budget, you can always enjoy a couple extra vacation days at home."_

Sharon had made it happen. She'd searched online for over a week to get the right hotel at the right price. She'd done that and secured airline tickets. Now, the trip was finally happening; she just needed to make it through two more hours at work, and she would be on vacation. She glanced back to the picture of Brady and smiled again. He really was growing quickly these days. He'd started crawling at the end of January, and now, both homes were trying to adjust to that. Sharon had recorded Brady crawling the other day and sent it to both Ricky and Emily. She hated they had to miss his milestones, but both were doing very well back at school. Sharon was jarred from her thoughts by her phone ringing.

"Captain Raydor," she answered.

"Hi, Sharon," she heard and instantly relaxed. Andy. That voice was a welcome relief during the work day, as long as words like "incident with Provenza" weren't attached to it.

"Andy," she said as she smiled. "What can I do for you? Please tell me you and Provenza aren't in some sort of trouble?"

"No," he chuckled. "In fact, I'm done for the day. Our captain told us to go home; we've already put in overtime for the week with that crazy case we had last weekend. I was calling to tell you I could grab Brady and take him home with me."

"Oh, okay," she nodded, checking her watch. "That should be fine. I've still got a couple hours here to finish up my paperwork. Are you sure you don't mind keeping Brady tonight?"

"Sharon?" Andy asked, pointedly.

She sighed, "You're right; you never mind taking care of your own son, and I need to stop asking that," she chuckled. "Sorry. It's a force of habit. I realize you aren't just babysitting him or something. I also know you didn't get to see him at all last weekend with that same crazy case as you mentioned."

"We'll be fine," he told her. "Two guys living it up with a gourmet meal of oatmeal."

"Mmm, he had that this morning for breakfast," she explained.

"Hmm, okay," he replied. "Let's see, what else does Brady like to eat these days?"

"You are welcome to feed him oatmeal again. It's not like he's going to vocalize a complaint. He finally stopped spitting out applesauce over the weekend too. Don't ask me why he didn't like that. You could try that. He's also discovered mashed potatoes the other night, but that's not something to easily eat tonight."

"True, but maybe with all this free time on vacation, we can make him some mashed potatoes. I mean, if the guy wants mashed potatoes on vacation, I think we can accommodate that," Andy chuckled.

"Very true," Sharon chuckled. "Call me if you need anything," Sharon told him. "Otherwise," she trailed off.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Provenza swears he's still taking us to the airport," Andy said.

"Yeah, I'm still a bit iffy about that," Sharon told him.

"Relax," Andy told her. "Provenza is going to stop by my house, and we'll drive my car to get you. Once Provenza drops us off at the airport, he's going to come back to my house, get his car, and hopefully go home. Knowing Provenza, though, he might become a squatter in my house, you know, take it over while I'm gone without being invited. My biggest worry is that Provenza won't drag himself out of bed since we have an early flight, but I have that covered because I promised to make him pancakes. Don't tell anyone, but the guy is a pancake junkie."

"Hmm, I'll file that away for another day. Just remember what I said the other day that if we get pulled over for any sort of trouble, I'm denying knowing either of you and will argue I was already bringing the two of you in for questioning," she teased.

"Best behavior, promise," he chuckled. "Get back to work, Captain. Have a nice, relaxing night, Sharon."

The two hung up, and Sharon tried to get back to work. It was hard because she was really looking forward to this trip. Just a few days after she'd told Andy about it, the trip as his Christmas present, she'd started to panic again. She couldn't shake the voice in her head, that of her mom, from the conversation they'd had on her balcony Christmas Eve.

" _So, you'd be fine if he wanted to bring a girlfriend on this vacation?" her mom asked._

 _"He won't do that!" Sharon scoffed._

 _"What if he did?" her mom asked, eyebrows raised._

Sharon hadn't been able to get her mom's comments out of her head, and she'd really started to panic about it as she planned the trip. She didn't THINK Andy would bring anyone, would he? He wasn't dating anyone, at least he hadn't told her. She had told him he was free to date, so it was a possibility, but he wasn't, was he? When would he have time for that? She'd planned this trip. Surely, he wouldn't bring someone, would he? The panic got the best of her until she finally asked Andy on New Year's Eve when he'd called to check on her. He was at work; they'd caught a case the day before and were waiting on a warrant before doing anything more. Andy had called to check in with Sharon, to see what she had planned for New Year's Eve. She'd told him she had a date with her couch and a movie, along with a drooling, handsome man. Sharon had chuckled as she explained that she wasn't drooling over a handsome man, but the handsome man was drooling all over Sharon and anything else he could find. Brady had two teeth that were almost in, and he'd been a drooling machine for days. So, after she'd spent most of the day going over and over her mom's comment, she asked Andy about it on New Year's Eve.

 _"Andy, I'm getting ready to buy the airline tickets, and I, um, wanted to ask you something," Sharon told him after they'd covered her plans for New Year's Eve._

 _"Sure, what do you need to know? You know my name and birthday for the airline ticket," he told her._

 _"No, it's not that," Sharon stammered. "You aren't planning on bringing anyone on the trip, are you?"_

 _"Anyone on the trip? Besides you and Brady?" he asked, and Sharon could tell he was confused._

 _"Yes, like anyone else. I told you it's a trip to share with Brady, but I didn't know if you were planning on bringing anyone else," she pointed out to him._

 _"You mean like a date?" he asked. "Sharon, no," she could hear him almost chuckle. "I'm going with you and Brady, no one else; I wouldn't dream of it. I'm really excited about it."_

So, now, here it was, February 12, and she was almost ready to fly away for a well-deserved vacation. The next two hours passed relatively quickly for Sharon after she got into her paperwork routine. Files were sorted; forms were signed, and before she knew it, she was on vacation. It didn't take her long to get out of the building, especially considering she didn't have to stop at the day care for Brady. Sharon decided to stop on her way home to pick up a few last-minute things. Earlier in the day, she'd realized she had forgotten a couple of things for Brady. While she had been a mom for over 20 years, it had been awhile since she'd had to pack for a vacation with a baby. She remembered he would need baby sunscreen and swim diapers, both things that yes, she could get there, but she hated to pay more when she could just stop on the way home. Besides, it would give her a chance to pick up a salad for dinner too. Her favorite place to shop was next door to a deli she liked.

Sharon took her time shopping, grabbing the items she needed, as well as a few other snacks. As she was ready to head to the check-out area, she froze when she walked by the card section. How had she missed it? She glanced around, now very much aware of the red everywhere. She'd been in her own little fog the last couple of weeks and had almost missed it-Valentine's Day. Their flight to Hawaii was February 13, something she hadn't even registered when she'd bought the tickets. In her defense, she hadn't celebrated Valentine's Day in almost two decades, and really, she wasn't planning to celebrate it now. However, the day was going to occur while they were in Hawaii. Hawaii, a beach-going paradise, while on vacation with her son and her-what was Andy? Co-parent? She closed her eyes and sighed. Of course, she would be in Hawaii, on a beach, staying in the same condo with Andy on Valentine's Day, all there with their son. She turned toward the cards, ready to stomp her foot, wondering if the card companies made a card for the "Baby Daddy" in her life, as Provenza always said.


	34. Chapter 34

"So, 10 days in Hawaii with HER, hmm?" Provenza said as they drove toward Sharon's house. Andy was driving because Provenza had told him that he didn't want to possibly get caught on a red-light camera driving toward the captain's house, to which Andy rolled his eyes, mentioning that Provenza's logic was absurd.

"Yup," Andy nodded, "don't forget Brady," he nodded to the backseat where Brady was awake and playing with a toy hanging on his car seat.

"You do realize tomorrow is the big Valentine's Day, don't you, Flynn? I've already got my table reserved at the all-you-can eat steak buffet. Who knows, I might pick up a lovely lady there," Provenza grinned.

Andy grimaced as he turned toward Provenza, "You think you're going to pick up some lady at a steak buffet on Valentine's Day? Good luck with that," he chuckled, as he shook his head and continued to drive.

"Could happen," Provenza shrugged. "The question is what's going to happen with, well," he gestured, "you and HER?"

"Nothing," Andy told him. "Absolutely nothing, I can bet on that. It's okay. I'm not complaining. I'm going to Hawaii with her and Brady, for 10 days. Yeah, not complaining," he threw a grin to Provenza.

"Surely, you'll do something," he looked to Andy, waiting for the details.

"I didn't get her anything, and I'm not going to make a big deal of it," he explained. "She's not dating me, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Provenza grumbled, shaking his head. "Tell me, is that the same type of thing she'd say about sleeping with you? Would she say she didn't sleep with you because you didn't actually sleep? So, is this idea of not dating because you officially don't take her out on dates, at least call them that? She's all about the rules and technicalities," he shook his head and continued, "Not dating my-" he was cut off by Andy.

"Would you just stop? Please!" he exclaimed. "I don't see any women lining up to take you on a Hawaiian vacation, Old Man! Can you let me just enjoy this? I know how much it took her to even ask. She's making progress, albeit, baby steps, but she's doing just fine."

"Right," Provenza nodded, as they pulled into Sharon's complex. "At this rate, you'll be able to take her on your first date when Brady has his first date. Nothing for Valentine's Day," he grumbled. "Even for you, Flynn, that's bad. You're slipping. You've always been a charmer."

Andy put the car in park; Sharon had been waiting inside the building's entrance and started walking toward the car with her things. Before he got out to help her, he turned to Provenza, "I said I'm not giving her anything," he gave a quick nod to Brady. Before Provenza could reply, he got out of the car to greet Sharon.

"Morning," he smiled to her, grabbing both suitcases, leaving her with the diaper bag, laptop bag, and her purse.

"Good morning," she smiled, as she helped Andy load. "How's everyone this morning?"

"Shouldn't have too much whining," he grinned, "and Brady, he's doing great." Sharon chuckled as Andy's reference to Provenza, as she patted his arm and went around to get in the backseat next to Brady. "Both have been fed, but I bet Brady does a better job holding out until lunch."

"Good morning, Lieutenant," she smiled as she got into the car. She leaned in and gave Brady a kiss and squeezed his foot.

"Captain," he grumbled. "Flynn! Let's get going before anyone sees me outside the captain's condo, or worse, riding in the same car as the captain," he grumbled, slouching down in the seat for effect.

"Oh, knock it off," Andy said as he got in and turned back toward Sharon. "All set?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Let's head to Hawaii!" she exclaimed, playing with Brady's feet and smiling at him. "Andy, you found a one-piece romper for him that says, 'Beach Bum' how sweet," she smiled.

"That, yeah," he nodded. "I saw that the other day when I did a big formula and diaper run. Thought it would be perfect. I wish someone could explain why they already have all the summer stuff out at the store, even though it's February. Works for this trip, though," he shrugged. "I picked up a couple of other outfits for him then that I put in my suitcase."

"Is that when you found the swim trunks for him too? I meant to tell you they fit him perfectly," she stated.

"This conversation is what I envision two teenage girls sound like as they discuss their fashion trends!" Provenza exclaimed. "Are we really going to talk about the attire of a baby all the way to the airport?"

"We can talk about many things, Lieutenant. Tell me, any plans for Valentine's Day?" she teased. Sharon had decided that she couldn't hide the day; she couldn't easily run from it. That didn't mean she was embracing it, not by a long shot, but she wasn't going to pretend the day didn't exist. With that logic, she'd decided to see if she could gather any information from Andy about his intentions without directly asking him. The opportunity to tease Provenza and maybe get some insight to Andy's plans seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"Tell her your grand plans," Andy nodded to Provenza, confirming to Sharon the two men had at least discussed the day.

"Well, I'm going to spend the majority of the day sitting behind my desk just waiting for the first murder call out. I'm sure we'll get a few. People can't handle themselves when it relates to their lonely hearts. When I finally get to leave, I'm going to the steak buffet I like, where I've reserved a table for myself. They could get busy, you know. I'm hoping to find a lovely young woman to join me for dinner."

"Young?" Andy grimaced as he looked to him. "Just about anyone is younger than you. How old are you thinking?"

"Ahh, no age in particular, but I guess my requirement is not as old as you, Flynn," he stated.

"I'm touched you won't be hitting on me, Provenza," Andy grumbled.

"Not my type," he informed him, slightly turning toward Sharon as he continued, "You're not my type either, Captain, and also, too close in age to Flynn."

"Oh, no need to apologize, Lieutenant," Sharon flashed him a fake smile. "I don't think a steak buffet would do it for me anyway. Besides, I've got a very handsome Flynn for Valentine's Day." Sharon froze as soon as the words came out of her mouth and instantly started to correct them as she stammered, "I mean, I am talking about Brady," she said quickly. She could see Provenza turn toward Andy, waiting for a reaction, but Andy didn't take his eyes off the road and almost acted as if he hadn't heard a word.

"Just make sure you take both Flynns here on the plane, Captain. I can't have Flynn here," he nodded to Andy, "as my vegetarian wingman at a steak buffet."

Sharon spent the rest of the ride trying to calm herself. She was irritated she'd made the conversation awkward with her odd slip of the tongue. She knew what she meant to say, but it hadn't come out as she'd wanted it. Now, she was worried what Andy might think she was implying, but they were arriving at the airport, so she'd have to get back to her thoughts later.

"Flynn," Provenza spoke up and pointed, "there's a doughnut shop. Let's stop."

"No!" Andy exclaimed. "I already fed you pancakes for breakfast. I'm not getting you more food."

"Come on, Flynn! I'm helping you out by the ride to the airport," Provenza pointed out.

"Yeah, which then explain to me why I'm driving," Andy grumbled. Sharon could be heard chuckling at their conversation.

"Are you bringing me coffee from Hawaii?" Provenza asked. "I like a strong coffee."

"Why would I bring you coffee?" Andy grumbled.

"They make good coffee, Flynn! I've research it. I'll expect my coffee as my payment."

"You are going to hang this over me for years, aren't you?" Andy asked. "It would have been cheaper to drive ourselves after all these payments! Now, stop bothering me; we're almost to the airport, and I need to pay attention to where we need to go."

After saying their good-byes to Provenza, securing Brady in his stroller, and collecting all the bags, Sharon and Andy made their way to the ticket counter to check-in. "Let's make sure we have everything," Andy said, as he looked to the bags. "I've got my bag, your bag, your laptop bag, my laptop bag," he counted off, looking to Sharon.

"I'm pulling Brady's bag," she indicated, "and the diaper bag is on the stroller. I've got my purse. I think we are set."

It didn't take them too long to get checked in and through security. After they had done all that, they both felt exhausted.

"I'm starting to feel my age," Andy chuckled as he put Brady back into the stroller, outside the security area. Sharon was collecting the last of the carry-on bags from the security area.

"I plan to take a nap on the plane, that is if Brady will nap too," she yawned. "Sorry," she chuckled. "I couldn't sleep well last night."

"Excited?" he asked.

Sharon nodded, agreeing that she'd been excited, but she didn't want to admit she was also going over and over in her head the possibilities for Valentine's Day. She really didn't want to make a big deal of the day; she and Andy were not dating, but it felt odd not to do anything since they were raising Brady together. "Yes, I was excited." She moved toward the stroller, where Andy had his hands on it. "Would you like me to push him?"

"No, I've got it," he told her. "You're on vacation," he flashed a smile. "Enjoy it."

Sharon nodded, and before she knew it, she squeezed Andy's hand that was hanging at his side. He had one hand on the stroller, and several of their carry-on bags hanging on the stroller. They both turned to head to their gate, neither one breaking their joined hands.

Their wait at the gate went smoothly and both were surprised when the gate agent announced families traveling with small children could board first. They looked at each other and shrugged, both standing as they made their way toward the plane.

"I guess I haven't paid attention to the announcements when I fly," Sharon told Andy as their made their way to their seats. They'd dropped the stroller at the door to the plane. Andy had collapsed it and now had their carry-on bags while Sharon carried Brady. "It's nice getting on before everyone else."

"It is, but I try to imagine him in another year. It would almost seem like torture, putting the toddlers on the plane first. They can't really walk around, yet they are expected to get on the plane and sit. I mean, we already have reserved seats, so wouldn't you think they would suggest toddlers get on at the very end? Think of what he'll be like in another year. If he's anything like me, he'll be a little curious," he winked to Sharon as they arrived at their seats. Andy put the bags up while Sharon got situated. People started filing on the plane, and Andy turned to Sharon, "Want me to hold him?"

"I've got him for now," she told Andy, "but I'm sure at some point, yes. Thank you for coming with me," she smiled at Andy as she leaned over and nudged his shoulder with hers.

"Coming with you? Thank you for asking me," he smiled. "I'm really glad we can both take Brady on his first big vacation, and the time off work, definitely needed," he nodded. Sharon leaned up to give Andy a kiss on the cheek, but Andy shifted slightly, not fully expecting it, and she ended up kissing his mouth. The two had done that plenty, but recently, it hadn't been as much. Sharon wasn't upset with it, but she was a little flustered since it had not been her plan.

"Sorry," she smiled, "I missed the mark a little," she admitted, her cheeks turning red.

Andy shrugged, "I've never heard you to miss the target, Sharon," he teased. Sharon closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. She needed to refocus and turned her attention to Brady.

"Someone is getting sleepy," she said as she started to rub his back. Soon, Brady was asleep and the plane was in the air. Sharon and Andy both settled in for a quick nap. It was awhile later that Sharon awoke with a start, grabbing to clutch Brady, but finding he wasn't there. Her eyes flew open in a panic. Andy patted her arm.

"Hey, he's fine," Andy nodded to his lap where Brady was sitting and now looking out the window. "We're landing. You slept almost the whole time."

"I did?" Sharon glanced at her watch. "I didn't even realize you'd moved Brady."

"We've been hanging out here together," Andy smiled. "Brady slept for almost two hours. I slept almost that long too, but I heard him as he started to stir. He kicked at my leg as he started to shift on you, and I wanted you to get as much sleep as you could. He's been great, a good traveler. I gave him his bottle when he woke up."

"I missed all that?" Sharon said, horrified she'd slept that hard.

"Glad you did," Andy smiled again. "Sharon, it's vacation. Relax, rest, enjoy. I certainly had a good flight."

By mid-afternoon, they had gathered their bags, picked up their rental car, grabbed a few groceries, and had lunch. Sharon reminded Andy that she was paying for things, and while he wanted to argue, he knew it was better to save his arguments for a better cause. They had eaten at a local seafood place, rather almost a hut-like place. The food was delicious, and soon, they found themselves following the directions to the condo. Sharon had offered to let Andy drive; she enjoyed checking on Brady when the three of them were in the car together. Andy, checked the address, and he pulled into the complex.

"Wow, this is nice and the oceanfront view is amazing, Sharon," he smiled. "Looks like the perfect getaway for a week."

"Good," Sharon smiled. "Let's get this vacation started."

By the time they had gotten everything unloaded and had deposited the bags in the correct rooms, it was almost time for Brady's nap again. He'd slept well in the morning, had eaten well at lunch, and he was now looking sleepy again.

"Want to feed him his bottle on the balcony?" Andy suggested. Sharon nodded, and the two, along with Brady, made their way to the balcony. Sharon tried to get comfortable in the chair as she fed Brady. Andy sat near her, and both looked out at the ocean.

"This is really nice," she said, sighing. "I feel like I could nap again, even though I slept most of the flight."

"That happens on vacation," Andy pointed out. "You get caught up from some of the many hours of sleep you've missed all year. Thankfully, Brady here is a good sleeper, but still, he's kept both of us up at times."

"Hmm, true," Sharon shifted again, trying to get comfortable. Andy noticed and grabbed at her feet, putting them in his lap. He started to massage her feet.

"Thank you," Sharon murmured. "That feels great."

"My pleasure," Andy told her. "So, plan is to get Munchkin get a nap. Then what?"

Sharon, who had closed her eyes when Andy started working on her feet, opened them and turned slightly toward him. "I have no plan. We can go to the beach, walk on the beach, go to the pool, eat. I really don't care."

"Let's see how long he naps. Maybe we can head to the beach then, walk or sit, depending on the time," he suggested.

"Perfect," Sharon stated, looking down to Brady. "He's almost asleep I think I'll put him in the crib. Is it all set up?"

"Yeah, it was put in my room for now," he told her. "We can move it later if you want."

"I'll just get him situated," she yawned again.

10 minutes later, Andy found Sharon curled up with Brady on his bed. It looked like she had attempted to put Brady down, but somewhere along the way, the two had cozied up together. Both were asleep, so Andy gently picked up Brady to put him in his crib where it was safer for him to sleep. Yes, Sharon knew that too, but Andy guessed that Brady probably started to wake himself up when Sharon was trying to put him down, and she'd tried to keep him asleep, yet in the process, falling asleep herself. Sharon sat up quickly, a sharp sigh, as she realized Brady had been moved.

"Shh," Andy put his finger to his lips, nodding to Brady sleeping now in his crib. "I told you I was going to call you Goldilocks," he smiled softly at her. "I found you sleeping in my bed again. If you'd rather have this room, I'm happy to switch," he whispered as he sat down next to her. She was rubbing her eyes, her glasses bouncing on her face as she did so.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. He was almost asleep, and as I started to put him down, he woke up. I was just trying to calm him down again, and look at me," she gestured, "I fell asleep."

"It's fine, Sharon," he rubbed her shoulder, affectionately. "You're welcome to get some rest here. I don't care which room I have, nor do I care if you take a nap."

She nodded, "If you want, we can both rest," she gestured to where she was sleeping. "That way, one of us will hear Brady when he wakes up. It's not like your house or mine where we have the baby monitor, so it might be best if we are both in here," she tried to explain.

Andy offered a small smile, with absolutely no plan to argue with her. The logic was insane again and ridiculous considering it was a small condo, and they could hear Brady from anywhere in the place, but he just nodded. Sharon moved over to give him half the bed, and he stretched out to nap as well. Yes, a great vacation so far. They'd had a smooth flight, a delicious lunch, and now, he was taking a nap in the same room with two people he cared for deeply and with whom was going to be spending the next 10 days relaxing. He was almost asleep when he felt Sharon shift and wrap her arm around his arm and rest her head on his shoulder. The room was silent as the three fell into their afternoon slumber.


	35. Chapter 35

"There you two are," Andy said as he rubbed the back of his head. He'd slept hard, and now he was trying to wake himself up from his nap. It had been a good nap, obviously, by the length of time he'd slept and also by the company. He'd awakened to find the room empty and quickly had gone in search of Sharon and Brady.

Sharon looked up from where she was sitting on the floor with Brady. She'd spread out his blanket, a favorite thing of his to play on, and he was sitting on it while she was feeding him some baby food. "Hi," she smiled up to him. "Sleep well?"

"Great," he nodded, still stretching as he sat down on the edge of the couch near the two. "Munchkin sleep at all?"

"About an hour," she shrugged, "so, not too bad."

He nodded, "You sleep any?"

"Maybe a half hour or so," she told him. "I feel rested. We've been out here playing, and he started to get hungry a few minutes ago," she gestured to the food she was feeding him. "The condo doesn't have anything for him to sit in, so we're on the floor. It's working well," she grinned.

"I see you are ready for the beach," he nodded to her attire. She'd changed clothes, now wearing her black one-piece swimsuit that he decided he liked very much. It still showed off plenty for a one-piece, and she had a wrap around her waist, looking very tropical.

She looked down to her swimsuit, "Yes, I thought it would be nice to walk on the beach. It's getting later in the day, so it might be a bit cool to sit on the beach, but still enjoyable for a walk. Then, tomorrow, maybe we can sit by the pool, the beach, or both," she shrugged.

"Sounds like a plan," he hit his knee, agreeing with her. "Munchkin looks ready too," he nodded to Brady, who was also ready. He was wearing the swim trunks and rash guard shirt Andy had found. He looked up at the sound of Andy's voice overhead and smiled at his dad.

"He's ready," Sharon smiled. "After he eats, he'll be ready to hit the beach."

"Okay, then just let me change, and we can go for a walk," Andy offered.

15 minutes later, the trio started out to the beach. The spot they thought contained the staircase didn't, but instead had a ledge. Andy hopped over it onto the beach and turned to help Sharon. She had Brady in the carrier, and now that he was bigger, he was facing outward, looking around instead of looking at Sharon. She sat down on the ledge, and Andy took her hand to help her down, making sure neither she nor Brady got hurt.

"Thank you," she smiled to him, not letting go of his hand when she landed on the sand. "I guess we need to find the proper way to get back to the condo when we leave the beach."

"I think you are right," he agreed, nudging her hand, "which way?"

They walked for quite awhile; the sun was already starting to set. The beach wasn't busy this time of day, and they remarked that it was still warm with a chill in the air. Neither ever broke the loose grip their hands hand on each other.

"Do you want to stop for a few minutes and let him crawl around in the sand?" Andy asked when they were almost back to the condo. Sharon looked around and nodded.

"That sounds nice," she offered, and Andy helped her unsnap Brady. He put him on the ground, and Brady started moving instantly. Sharon sat on the sand, watching, and Andy joined her. They started to laugh when Brady picked up his hand and looked at the sand, almost a horrified look on his face.

"He's such a good baby, Andy," Sharon smiled as they continued to look at Brady.

"He is," Andy smiled, "he's given me a fresh start at life, a new perspective," he added. They continued to watch Brady, who almost acted as if they weren't even there. He was enjoying his exploration of the sand, crawling all over the place. He kept stopping and turning around, almost to double check that his parents were still in sight.

"My mom asked me something at Christmas that I can't get out of my head," Sharon said suddenly. Andy, who had been focused on Brady, turned to Sharon, with a look of interest.

"What's that?" he asked, not sure how to gauge her tone.

Sharon took a deep breath before continuing, "She asked me how I would feel if, and I suppose when, you start bringing a girlfriend around, in Brady's life, even on a trip like this."

Andy remained silent, trying to give Sharon the space she needed to talk. He had gotten to know her well over the past six months, probably better than many people knew each other simply because they weren't romantically involved right now. He had started to be able to gauge her moods, her thoughts, and he knew all of this terrified her. Jack Raydor had done a number on her, and Andy knew if he ever stood a chance to have the family he so wanted, he had to let Sharon figure this out for herself. He often had his AA group to talk to about his thoughts and only wished Sharon had someone too. He knew he couldn't suggest that, though, but he figured her talking to him, at least sharing some of her thoughts as she was now, was a start.

"Tell me," he encouraged, looking at the sand and not at Sharon. He knew direct eye contact right now would scare her. She was watching Brady, so he continued, "why can't you get that out of your head?"

"I don't know," Sharon sighed, shaking her head. Truth was, she probably knew exactly why. Andy had a pretty good feeling why she was focused on that, but again, he needed to let her process that.

It was silent, except for the baby sounds Brady was making and the crashing of the waves. "Sharon, I'm not going to bring a girlfriend around."

"Maybe not today or next week," Sharon gestured, "but it will happen sometime, Andy," Sharon sighed.

"You haven't asked me how I would feel," Andy pointed out, and Sharon turned to him with a questioning glance.

"Sorry?" she inquired, trying to understand the question.

"You said you have been thinking about that and can't get it out of your head. Well, reverse the roles. You haven't asked me how I will feel sometime when I come to get Brady and am greeted with some boyfriend of yours-how I will feel when some other man is in the picture acting like a father to my son," Andy said softly. He wasn't trying to upset her, but she'd opened the door to this conversation, so he was trying to get her to see what he, and others, already saw.

She pulled back, surprised. Her face registered a total look of surprise, "Andy, that's not going to happen," she told him. "That's not something you need to worry about, at all," she clarified. "I don't want you to ever worry about that."

"Same here, Sharon," Andy nodded. He realized he could add more to the statement, but Sharon's shocked expression told him he'd rattled her enough, made her think about things at least more than she had. She opened her mouth to say something else and then closed it again, choosing to remain silent. She looked to Andy, who was watching her, and then she quickly turned toward Brady. He was crawling toward them now, covered in sand. Andy's hand found Sharon's hand on the sand, and he squeezed it. "Why don't we take Munchkin upstairs and get him a bath. He's had a wonderful time in the sand, but I think he's about ready for his pajama party."

Sharon nodded as she looked down at their hands, his on top of hers on the sand. She smiled to Andy, "I carried him the whole walk. You can carry the sandy baby back to the condo."

He chuckled, squeezing her hand one last time, Deal," he smiled. He stood and offered his hand to her as she stood too. Andy picked up Brady and gave him a small toss in the air, which caused the baby to start giggling. His giggle was contagious, and soon all three were laughing. Sharon walked right behind the guys, making faces at Brady the whole way, thinking about Andy's recent question to her.

Later in the condo, Sharon was just finishing Brady's bath. Andy had offered to bathe him, but Sharon had volunteered, asking Andy if he would find a towel and dig out Brady's pajamas. He walked into the bathroom, towel on his arm, ready to take over the next step. Sharon looked up to him from her spot on the floor by the bathtub, "I'm feeling like pizza tonight," she explained. "Yes, I know it's junk food and greasy, but it is vacation."

"I can do pizza," he nodded. "Want me to order one? I think I saw a stack of menus in the kitchen."

"Sure," she nodded. "He'll play another few minutes," she gestured to Brady.

"Toppings?" he asked.

"Whatever you want is fine; I prefer vegetables, as you know," she explained. He nodded and stepped out to order the pizza. Sharon started to get lost in her thoughts again, thinking back to their conversation earlier on the beach, "Same here," Andy had said, referring to Sharon saying she didn't want Andy to ever worry about that. Same here? What exactly did he mean by that? Brady smacked his hand and splashed water all over Sharon's face, snapping her out of her thoughts. Andy reappeared a few moments later.

"Pizza is on the way. I'll get him," he nodded to her, "if you want to change or shower."

Sharon looked down; she and Andy were both still in their swimsuits, and yes, a shower sounded heavenly to her right now. Brady was using the bathtub attached to Andy's room, and it appeared that for tonight, at least, Brady was staying in Andy's room.

"You know, I would like a shower," she said as she stood. Andy nodded to her as he stepped in to take over.

"Go get a shower; I'll get Munchkin ready for bed," he said.

Sharon didn't take too long with her shower because she soon smelled pizza in the condo. She put on some comfortable clothing to lounge around in and made her way to the living room.

"Perfect timing," Andy smiled up from the coffee table. He had put two plates, the pizza, and two glasses out for them. "I just put Brady down if you want to say good-night," he offered. She stared at him.

"When did you have time to shower?" she asked.

He shrugged, "I may have jumped in the shower with Brady. After you left, I started to let the water out of his bath. He started to cry, upset it was over, so I decided to hop in the shower with him. He loved it, if you've ever tried that with him."

Sharon's cheeks turned red, and she quickly tried to shake the image out of her head, "No, I haven't tried that. Good to know," she told him. "I'll just say good-night to him."

The two were quiet through their pizza, both hungrier than they had realized. Sharon blurted out another statement toward the end of their dinner, "My priest says trust is something I don't give easily."

Andy put his napkin on his now clean plate and looked to her. She was on the couch, and he was sitting in an armchair.

"I would agree with your priest," he stated.

Sharon pursed her lips and glanced toward Andy, almost with surprise, "I don't do that on purpose," she told Andy.

"Don't you?" Andy asked, earning another curious glance from Sharon. Sharon put her plate on the coffee table and shifted to look at Andy. He continued, "You've spent a great deal of your adult life having people break the trust you have given them. At some point, you said enough was enough and stopped trusting people, most people," he corrected himself. "It's not that it's a bad thing, necessarily, but it can be if you shut down and don't trust anyone."

"I trust people," she pointed out.

"A few," he replied. "A few people with a few things. Again, not all bad, but what might be the more accurate statement is complete trust is something you don't give easily."

Sharon paused to think, nodding at Andy's statement. "I trust you," she blurted out.

He looked to her, "You trust me with Brady, yes. With other things," he shrugged, "not yet."

"Like what?" she asked him, puzzled.

"Things, Sharon," he said, now feeling flustered himself. She knew it, deep down, and he truly didn't think she was playing games with him. She just wasn't seeing it yet. "It's not for me to tell you how you do or don't trust me," he sighed. It was quiet, and Andy let Sharon think while he stood to clear the dinner plates and pizza box. He finished, and Sharon was still sitting on the couch, thinking. Andy walked over and sat next to her on the couch.

"One day at a time," he said softly, as he offered her a small smile. She looked up with an inquisitive glance.

"You know, AA," he told her and continued, "they tell us that all the time. Take one day at a time. Baby steps. "Trust isn't something simple that fits into a box, and it's not necessarily something you can measure. Think back to the day I found out about Brady. Would you have trusted me in that moment to take Brady home with me and trust I would bring him back to you a couple days later?"

Sharon thought, only a brief moment before she shook her head, "No, of course not. I knew you were his father, but the idea of you getting to keep him for any amount of time terrified me."

"Exactly," Andy encouraged. "Even after you started to get to know me, you had a hard time allowing Brady to stay with me that first night, remember?" he bumped her shoulder with his.

She groaned, "I'll never be able to forget that," she sighed.

"Hey," he nudged her again, "not a bad thing all the time, but you were learning to trust me with him. You have learned to trust me with Brady. Now, look at you," he gestured, "Brady and I were away for almost a week, and we all made it through that," he smiled. Sharon closed her eyes and chuckled, nodding.

"You are a good father, Andy, and I trust you with Brady," she explained.

"I know you do," he nodded, agreeing with her. "That's not an area I have a concern." The room grew silent again.

"I've been talking to my priest for over a year now," she blurted out again, turning to gauge his reaction.

"That's good, Sharon," he nodded. "A lot?"

"No, but it's been helpful. I first asked to speak to him last year when I was pregnant. I was afraid he was going to try and have me kicked out of the church. Here I was, a divorced Catholic with a mid-life crisis baby-out of wedlock," she groaned. "I asked to speak to him after Mass one day. It was just after Christmas, and I was clearly starting to show. I knew I needed to get some spiritual guidance. He really helped me," she nodded. "I really appreciated the talk, the guidance he gave, and I asked if we could speak again. That's been going on now since then, so just over a year now. We don't have a set time or anything," she paused. "In fact, when I had Brady, I didn't speak to the priest that summer; life was too busy, but I started seeking his help again after I finally found you. I knew I needed to let you into Brady's life; I wanted to do that, and he helped me talk through all of that."

"I didn't know," Andy told her. "You've never mentioned it."

She shrugged, "When I do speak to him, it's almost always after Mass. You've never been to Mass with me."

"I'd go," he replied instantly. "Sharon, I will go if you ever want me to go, and as Brady grows up, I do want him raised in the church. I know that's important."

She nodded, "I'd like that," not clarifying if she liked the idea of Andy going with her, Brady growing up in the church, or both. Andy just let her process things. She was fidgeting now, playing with her hands on her lap, not sure what to say. Andy knew he needed to give her space. In just a few minutes' time, she'd opened up a lot, something he appreciated very much, but he knew she would appreciate the space to think.

"I think I'm going to read on my balcony for a few minutes," he stood, placing his hand on her shoulder as he stood. "I'm here if you need me, Sharon," he offered a small smile. "Get some sleep tonight, and sleep as long as you can tomorrow. I'll take care of Brady."

Sharon nodded to Andy, putting her hand over his hand that was on her shoulder. She squeezed it as she smiled up to him, "Andy, if not Brady, what other things?" she asked, referring to Andy's comment that she didn't trust him yet with other things.

"Sharon," he sighed, looking upward before he continued, not sure if he liked how he was saying it, "Sharon, I hope you will trust me with your life." He squeezed her shoulder and offered a small wave as he walked to his room. Sharon sat there, thinking through his cryptic statement.

"Her life?" she wondered. They weren't in the same division at work; she would understand that from a police perspective. Of course, if they ever happened to find themselves in a life or death work situation, she would trust him with her life. She would do the same. What did he mean by that? She sat there, thinking back over their conversation. Her life? They hadn't talked about work at all. What did he mean by that? Was it work-related. Suddenly, she let out a soft, "Oh," and she felt her cheeks flush again, turning bright red. It was almost Valentine's Day after all, so red was the color of the day, right? Except, Sharon didn't want anyone to see her with her face this red. Her life. "Sharon, I hope you will trust me with your life," continued to run through her head, as well as other things he'd mentioned from the conversation, "You trust me with Brady, yes. With other things, not yet," and his other cryptic comment, "That's not an area I have a concern." Sharon sat on the couch, for what felt like hours, with Andy's comments swirling through her head. The two had been part of the same conversation, yet she'd missed all the deeper meanings behind it. Andy had not, obviously, but she'd missed it all. She was a detective, and she'd missed what he was saying. "Oh," she uttered again, as she sat, running her hands through her own hair, trying to make sense of her mind.


	36. Chapter 36

The bright sunshine woke her up. She glanced at the clock, and it wasn't that late in the morning, 7:30. Still, that was as late as she'd slept in a long time. The condo was quiet, which impressed her. Perhaps Andy and Brady had gotten up, Brady had a bottle, and the guys had also gone back to bed. Sharon glanced over to her phone, no missed calls, which was nice for a change. Being on vacation had its perks, but then the date glared back at her, February 14. Her stomach started doing flips again, not sure why the day was already getting to her. Like it or not, Valentine's Day was here, and she was going to have to get through the day. Besides, she was on vacation, and it couldn't be that terrible of a day.

Before she went in search of the guys, she decided to make herself a little more presentable, putting on shorts and a simple t-shirt. Vacation had its perks and comfortable clothing was one of them. She tried to tame her hair and put on some very basic makeup. She would finish later, but she was acceptable for now.

She tiptoed into the kitchen in hopes of not waking the guys. The bottle on the counter by the sink and the spoon, obviously used to feed Brady, were both sitting there, confirming the guys had already been up at some point. She started to walk toward his room to check on the guys, when a scribbled note caught her attention. It was on the kitchen table, close to the front door.

"Sharon-Took Munchkin for walk on the beach. We'll be back soon.-Guess Who."

Sharon let out a quick laugh when she read his signature. She looked around, walking to the balcony to see if she could spot the guys. She couldn't, but she decided she could do something kind and make breakfast. They had gotten some groceries yesterday when they had landed. She dug around and decided to make eggs and toast. Andy had found a specialty loaf of bread yesterday that he had seemed excited to try, so Sharon got busy with breakfast. She didn't want to put the eggs on until Andy returned, not knowing how long he would be, but she didn't have to wait long because the guys returned just before 8:00. In the few minutes she had, Sharon cut up some of the fruit they had bought yesterday too. Ironically, neither liked pineapple, something they had discovered yesterday when at the store. Here they were in Hawaii, surrounded by pineapple, yet they didn't like it. They had bought other fruit, and she a large fruit salad read in no time.

"I think I hear your mom in the kitchen," Sharon heard Andy tell Brady as the two entered the condo. She put down her knife and walked over to greet the guys.

"Good morning," she smiled brightly. Andy was also in shorts and a t-shirt, and he had Brady in a simple green romper with a bucket hat on to keep the sun off his face. Andy had taken him out in the pack they had and both looked like they had enjoyed their walk.

"Morning," he looked up from trying to unsnap Brady. Sharon moved over to help him, lifting Brady out to greet him.

"Oh, you're warm," she told Brady as she held him closely to her. She looked to Andy who was taking the pack off, "Did you have a nice walk?"

"Great walk," he nodded, putting the pack on the handle by the door. "He seemed to enjoy it too. How are you this morning?" he asked.

Sharon nodded, "I'm well," she ran her hand down his, pulling him toward the kitchen. "I was making breakfast. I thought that sounded good."

Andy followed, nodding, "Sounds great. Want me to do anything?" he asked as he looked around.

"Just hold him, or I guess he can play on his mat," she suggested. She moved to the living room where his blanket was on the floor, and she put him down on it. Brady instantly started moving around.

Andy watching, pursing his lips, "I think he's good there. So, breakfast," he clapped his hands and turned to Sharon.

"Just sit," she guided him to the table. "I've got it. I made a fruit salad, and I've got the eggs ready to put on. Scrambled okay? I'll put some toast in too."

"Sounds delicious," Andy agreed. Sharon worked in the kitchen a few minutes before she had breakfast ready while Andy told her about their walk.

"We walked a little further than last night. It's really beautiful here. We should spend a day driving around the island. We've got that rental car," he told her.

"I agree," Sharon nodded. "There are some great places to visit, things to see. I looked up a few. Maybe after breakfast we could sit down and figure out our week. I'm happy to stay here today and enjoy the beach and pool." Sharon brought the plates to the table, handing Andy his. She smiled and sat across from him.

"Ahh, well, that's not exactly all in the plans," he nodded to the spot next to her plate. She'd missed it, but there was a card for her. Her eyes got big as she glanced from the card to Andy.

"You got me a card?" she asked.

"No, Brady," he nodded to the baby who was happily crawling around on the floor right next to the table. "Guy can't read, so I did have to help him with that, but he's got good taste. I'd open it," he encouraged.

Sharon smiled at Andy and stood. "Hold on," she lifted her finger and disappeared. Sharon reappeared and put a card down next to Andy. "Brady must like to shop," she nudged the card toward Andy. He met her glace and grinned at her, nodding.

"He is a good kid, we've said," Andy smiled. "You first."

Sharon nodded, her fingers a bit shaky as she opened the card. At least she and Andy had the same idea, to not hide from the day, but use Brady as the reason for any cards.

"Andy, a spa certificate?" she said, completely shocked. She looked at him, blown away by the gesture. "Andy?"

"Not me," he held up his hands, "Brady," he gestured. "Kid told me he felt bad for straining your back all the time in the pack thing and as you carry him around. He begged me to get you a day at the spa. Kid wouldn't own up to any of the problems he might have caused during your pregnancy, but his heart is in the right place. Works for him too, gives him a guy day with me, which we have plans to play in the pool."

Sharon shook her head, "Andy, you didn't have to get this," she held the certificate in her hand. "The spa is here, on the grounds? Andy," she sighed.

"Brady woke me up early to go pick it up. He had me call here a couple weeks ago to check on it. Guy is a real keeper, Sharon, for the right girl when he gets older. We stopped by this morning to verify everything, but they've got you starting at 10:00, and she said it was a full day. You should finish around 4:00. So, not to worry; you can still come and join us in the pool or on the beach. I figured we do one thing before lunch, Brady and I would come back here for lunch, then he could take a nap, and we'll go to the other-beach or pool-after his nap, which should be around the time you finish."

Sharon just stared at the certificate in her hand, nodding, as Andy explained the day. She was touched, more than touched. Andy had done a very nice thing for her, something she never did for herself anymore, but it was a true indulgence she really would enjoy. "Thank you," she met his glance, smiled, and she could feel herself tearing up.

"Hey," he stood, grabbing a napkin, which was in reach, walking around to give it to her. He bent down next to her, now eye to eye. "I hope you enjoy your day to relax. I know you never get to do that," he said, and he stopped because Brady had reached Andy and was starting to pull himself up on Andy's leg. Sharon and Andy watched him and started to chuckle at the sight. "What good is a vacation without a little time to relax and indulge in something fun? See," Andy broke the tension, "he's just checking in to see if you like his gift."

"I love it," she nodded. "Thank you," and with that, she leaned in and kissed him. It was better than yesterday had been when she'd missed his cheek and kissed his lips, not that kissing him was ever bad, but she hadn't planned on that. This time, she planned and executed a kiss on his lips. It was short, sweet, and effective.

"Hey, not that I mind the affection," he joked, "but, really, it's Brady you should thank," he winked to Sharon, pulling Brady onto his knee. Sharon leaned in and kissed Brady as she tickled him. "We'd better eat, though, so you aren't late for the spa. This guy," they looked to Brady, who was yawning, "is almost ready for his nap. When he gets up, I think he and I will hit the beach." Andy stood, jumping around with Brady to get him laughing. Sharon nodded to Andy.

"I'll put him down," she raised her hands for Brady. "You sit, eat," she encouraged. "I'll be back. He won't fall asleep, though, until you open your card." Truthfully, Sharon wanted Andy to open the card when she wasn't right there looking back at him. She'd spent most of the night up, thinking through their discussion about trust, realizing that Andy was waiting for Sharon to trust him with her life, yes, not in the sense of work, but in a relationship. She wasn't there yet, not that Andy was doing anything to stop her from trusting him, but she was still in the healing stages herself. She'd stayed up most of the night trying to figure out how to convey that in the card she now had for Andy. She disappeared with Brady while Andy took his seat and started to open his card.

"To Daddy on our 1st Valentine's Day," the card read. Andy smiled at that, as he opened the card. Sharon had written a lengthy note inside, "Andy-I know it's not your first Valentine's Day as a dad, but it is your first Valentine's Day as Brady's dad. This card seemed to fit. I've thought (and overthought) what to write in the card, and at one point, I thought about chickening out and just signing Brady's name. That isn't want I want to convey to you. I want you to know you mean the world to me and to Brady. I'm very glad you are in our lives and pray you will continue to be. My life has been a mess, BUT I am working hard to move past all of that. I hope you will continue to be my support, Brady's support, because I don't want anyone else to take your spot. You pointed out my trust is hard to earn, and I want you to know that I trust you with Brady and continue to stretch myself on a daily basis to expand that trust. One day, I hope to get there, to trust you with my life. -Sharon."

Sharon walked into the room at coincidently the same time Andy seemed to finish. "He's already asleep," she said as she took her seat again. She met Andy's eyes and smiled, reaching for the card she had given him. "I mean everything I wrote," she told Andy.

"Good," Andy nodded and smiled. "I'm keeping the card, and I'll hold you to all if it," she replied in a joking manner. He knew the topic was heavy for Sharon right now. "If you start to backslide, I'm going to pull out the card and make you read it to me at work."

She narrowed her eyes, wishing she could wipe the smirk off his face, "That would be your last mistake," she told him without batting an eye.

"Oh?" he smiled playfully at her. "Just remember, I'm keeping the card, Captain," he winked. "Provenza would surely have a heart attack if I made him ever listen to that."

Sharon closed her eyes and started to chuckle. Andy's humor had broken the tension, and she nodded. The two continued their breakfast, and when it was time to clean up, Andy had to almost push Sharon out the door to head to the spa.

"I've got it here," he told her. "Brady is good. I'm going to clean up breakfast, and I'll just relax and read until he wakes up. Go, enjoy your day, and we'll see you this afternoon. We can swim and then have dinner."

"Oh, dinner!" Sharon turned, a panic in her eyes again.

Andy continued to nudge her, "Yeah, Brady told me I have to make dinner," he shrugged. "Kid is thoughtful, but can be bossy," he teased. "Guess I'll cook because he promised to behave this evening if I did. Go. The day is yours. Spa and dinner here, that is, unless you want to try a restaurant on Valentine's Day?" Andy knew Sharon would hate that, especially since she was still raw with emotion.

"Tell Brady I can't wait to try his dinner," she smiled, squeezing Andy's hand as she left.


	37. Chapter 37

Sharon woke to sounds coming from Brady. She sat up and smiled at the happy baby. He was standing in his crib looking back at her. He'd spent the last two nights in her room, and today they were leaving. It had been a really nice week. Andy's surprise with the spa had been just what she had needed. His dinner later that night, fresh fish he'd bought at a local market, had been delicious and very casual, served with rice, fruit, and he'd taken them for ice cream cones later in the evening. All of that was casual enough for Sharon, yet very meaningful too. Sharon appreciated Andy didn't make a big deal of it and had a nice, quiet evening on the balcony, complete with Brady. He'd made dinner early enough that the three of them had still been able to enjoy an evening walk on the beach where they'd found a place to get ice cream. The rest of the week had gone smoothly like that; they'd all had a relaxing time, and there had never been any pressure.

Andy had never taken any "alone" time for himself, Sharon had noted. She was going to make sure he did some of that in Honolulu when they island hopped later in the morning. She was excited for three more days in paradise, because really, that's what this felt like to her. Brady flashed her a big smile, and she returned it, climbing out of bed to get Brady. She held him as she moved to her balcony area to look out at the beautiful morning. The two stood there as Brady babbled away. A soft knock at her door had her step back inside, Brady still in her arms.

"Come in, Andy," she said and smiled when he stuck his head in the room.

"Just checking to see if you were awake. I heard Brady and was going to offer to take him if you weren't up yet," he told her.

She shook her head, "We're up, just enjoying the beautiful morning."

"Okay, I'll start the coffee. Then, my things are ready to go, so I can take Brady while you get ready," he offered.

Andy closed the door as he left, and Sharon stood there still looking where he'd just been standing. He'd been very helpful this week, not that she doubted he would be with Brady, but she realized just how much she enjoyed working as a team with Brady. She'd not had that with Jack, and the couple of times he'd tried to worm his way back into her life, she'd briefly let her guard down to enjoy those "team" moments, only to have Jack clean out their bank accounts before taking off again. This time, she hadn't let her guard down completely; it wasn't Andy's fault, but she was working on it. He hadn't done anything to doubt his sincerity or genuine concern for Sharon or Brady. Sharon had realized just two nights before that Andy, indeed deeply cared and wasn't going to just take off. She was still adjusting to that idea, not that she was trying to keep her distance, but as she'd told Andy, it was a process.

Her affection for Andy seemed to be growing. She didn't love him, not yet, but she was starting to believe that someday she could. She couldn't even explain it to Andy; honestly, right now, she didn't even want to discuss the future with Andy. It was awkward, yet she didn't want him out of her life, her future. Andy seemed to be content, at least for now, but Sharon knew there would have to be a breaking point even for that. She knew it wasn't fair to force anything with Andy when she wasn't there yet, and she wasn't ready for more. It seemed to be an almost unspoken understanding, but one thing she did know for sure, the more and more she was around Andy, the more she liked him. The circumstances the two brought Brady into the world might have been reckless and out of character, but Brady had a wonderful dad.

Once Sharon finished changing Brady's diaper and took a couple of minutes to make herself more presentable, the two went to the kitchen in search of nourishment. Andy was finishing Brady's bottle and had some oatmeal on for him too.

"Good morning again," Sharon smiled as she leaned up to kiss Andy's cheek where he stood at the stove. He put his arm around her shoulder in reply, looking to Brady.

"Morning to both of you. Munchkin sleep okay?" he asked.

"He did," Sharon nodded. "How long have you been up? You've barely had time to rest."

"Oh, I've gotten great rest this week. It's been nice to sleep all night without a wake-up call from Provenza," he chuckled.

Sharon smiled to Andy, "You miss him, though, I know."

Andy smirked at her, "If you ever try to tell him that, I'll make sure Brady knows all the nicknames the department has for you."

"Fair enough," she chuckled. "Okay, I guess I need to get ready. Our flight is at 11:00, right?"

Andy nodded, turning to take Brady from her arms, "Yes, I'll get him. Like I said, I'm ready to go. As soon as you are, we can pack up and get going. Lunch in Honolulu sounds really nice."

"It does, indeed," Sharon nodded.

Their quick flight from one island to another went well, and they soon found themselves getting into another rental car. Lunch was the first item on their agenda, followed by some driving around before heading to their hotel. It was Friday, and the airport had been bustling with people heading home from their vacations, and both Sharon and Andy had commented how happy they still had a few more days. They'd discussed Saturday's plans, and both had agreed that seeing Pearl Harbor was a must. Sunday, they had discussed driving to the north side of the island. Neither had set plans, but they had enjoyed their day drive around Maui and wanted to do the same thing on Oahu.

It was finally late afternoon when they pulled into their hotel. Sharon had reserved adjoining rooms at this place. She didn't want to make things more awkward with one room, and she'd checked into some suites, finding them to be even more expensive than two rooms. She knew this would work best with Brady too; he could stay in either room again, and they would easily be able to move him around. It took almost a half hour to unload and get situated in the rooms, and then Sharon suggested they go in search of a beach to walk again.

"Can we hang out here for awhile?" Andy asked. "I'm pretty tired, and as much as I'd love to walk on the beach, I think I'd just assume stay around here tonight. We could maybe go down to the pool area and take Brady in the water. That's not too exhausting, yet," he chuckled. "Give him a couple more years, and the pool will be totally exhausting."

Sharon, while a bit surprised, replied, "Of course. I'll get changed for the pool." Andy had talked about taking a walk earlier, but she definitely understood the exhaustion hitting hard. It had been doing that to her all week as well, all from working such long hours when at home. She shrugged it off, and soon the three were heading to the pool area.

Andy offered to take Brady in the water while Sharon relaxed in the shade. She wasn't one for getting a lot of sun, and she'd managed to stay out of it all week. That didn't mean they hadn't been outside; she just hadn't gotten a sunburn, something she didn't want to start today. Sharon had done something this week she hadn't done in forever either. She had finished two books. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually finished a book, let alone two. Sure, she'd started many, but work always got in the way, and by the time she got around to picking up the book again, she'd forgotten the plot. Their pool time had been really enjoyable this week. Brady loved the water, and he especially enjoyed hanging on his dad in the water. Sharon had enjoyed watching the two, which she did for a few minutes before picking up her newest book that she'd just bought at the airport.

"Hi, Mom!" she heard and immediately looked up. She froze for an instant, and then confusion set in. She put her book down and tried to collect her thoughts.

"Emily, Ricky, what in the world?" she asked, now standing. She'd missed that Andy and Brady had also gotten out of the pool and walked up behind the kids.

"Surprise!" Emily squealed again. "We wanted to surprise you."

Sharon's eyes got large, "Surprise me? You certainly did! I don't know what to say, other than I can't believe you are here," she said as she started to hug Emily and then moved to Ricky. "I'm so glad to see you both, but how did you do this?"

"Surprise," Andy leaned around the kids and gave a warm smile to Sharon. "I sort of helped with all this," he shrugged.

"Mom, no," Emily turned and put her hand on Andy's wrist, "He didn't help; he set up all of this and bought our tickets. He thought that it would be a nice long weekend. Granted, we couldn't join you for the whole vacation, but he asked us at Christmas if it might be a possibility with our schedules, and well," she grinned, "here we are."

"See Mom," Ricky grinned, "there's a benefit to scheduling all my classes on Tuesday and Thursday this semester, well, except for the two labs I have that take up most of Wednesday." Sharon shook her head, dumbfounded to find her kids here and even more shocked to find that Andy had not only helped but apparently orchestrated this whole event.

"The class schedule you have this semester is another whole argument," Sharon turned to Ricky. She'd been a little irritated he'd scheduled things like that, but knew it was his decision. He'd been complaining about how long his Tuesdays and Thursdays were, which Sharon knew was lesson enough, but today, that was proving to be a good decision.

"And, I went to my 9:00 class and then high-tailed it to the airport," Emily grinned. "Barely made it, but I knew you'd be really angry if I told you I'd skipped my class. And, my job at the ballet studio," she continued, "I have the weekend off. She knows I never ask off, and it wasn't a problem this one time."

"Oh, you two," Sharon sighed, "honestly, and Andy, you are sneaky!"

He shrugged, Brady on his hip, "I knew you would enjoy the kids for the long weekend. It worked out that it is a Friday to Monday. We all leave on Monday, so you have them all weekend. I was worried about setting up the hotel arrangements until you told me you got the adjoining rooms. Ricky can stay with me, and Emily can stay with you."

"I just don't know what to say," Sharon said, her voice catching. She was very touched and almost ready to cry. Another thing occurred to her, "Andy, is this why you didn't want to leave the hotel to go walk on the beach?"

"Guilty," he chuckled. "Sorry. I hated telling you that and knew you were disappointed. I couldn't say anything, and I knew they were coming in from the airport."

"Yeah, we took a taxi," Emily said.

"I need to get you guys some money for that," Andy turned toward the kids. "Glad you both made it. Flights okay?"

Sharon turned to Andy, now coming out of her surprised fog, "You most certainly are not paying for their taxi ride."

"Hey, part of the deal," Andy shrugged.

"I made no such deal," Sharon said with a playful tone.

"Well, I did," Andy admitted, "with them, not you."

"Andy, it's fine. We've got the taxi," Emily smiled to him. "I mean, you bought us tickets to Hawaii to join the vacation. Thank you. It's really nice of you, and Mom, before you ask, Andy promised he'd looked for awhile and got us great deals."

Sharon shook her head at Andy, "What am I going to do with you?"

He shrugged, "Least I can do. He's shivering," Andy gestured to Brady. "Want to head to the room? Looks like they would like to drop their luggage," Andy gestured to the kids. Sharon finally noticed they had their bags with them.

"Of course," Sharon nodded. "I'm still trying to catch up with this surprise. I can't believe you came," she smiled to Ricky and Emily.

"I take it a good surprise, Mom?" Emily grinned.

"The very best," Sharon nodded.


	38. Chapter 38

She studied the man beside her. He looked well-rested, even though he was currently napping. She saw the same jaw that Brady had. She saw lines on his face, lines that aged him a bit, but she liked that. His graying hair was sticking up, mostly because of the way he'd tried to shift in the seat. She looked down and studied Brady, asleep on her too, wondering, even hoping he would grow up to be the kind of man his father was. Sharon closed her eyes, trying to rest as well.

They had all had a wonderful vacation, and it was finally coming to an end. Andy's surprise, flying the kids out for the long weekend, had been amazing. For a few days, they had all felt like a big family, Andy included, yet, the situation was far from that. Complicated, in fact. Sharon knew she could un-complicate things if she would just tell Andy that, but something was still stopping her. This man, this wonderful man, had flown her other children out to surprise her on vacation. He'd been good to her, good to Brady, but she couldn't date him. The scars from her past had not fully healed, and because of that, she wasn't ready.

Brady shifted slightly, and Sharon looked down, wondering if he was waking up. He settled and continued to sleep, and Sharon turned and continued to study Andy's face. She started to think about the future, about what she wanted, and she tried to envision life even five years down the road. Brady would be five. Ricky would be out of college, and Emily would hopefully still be in a dancing career. She'd surprised Sharon with that information, that she'd been offered a job dancing in New York. Her baby girl was going to live out her dream and move to New York. While Sharon was thrilled for her, she was also scared and somewhat worried. She wanted her children's lives to be full of life, unlike hers had been. Of course, she'd had a lot of life in hers, but she'd had her share of sadness. She didn't want that for her own kids. She hoped Emily's future in New York would be everything Emily wanted, the life she wanted. Sharon thought about her own life, trying to envision what she truly wanted. Yes, she was getting older, but that didn't mean she had to give up on life. She looked to Andy again, wondering if that life could ever include him. She also wondered what life would be like if that life didn't include him.

She opened her eyes again and looked to Andy, studying him. Andy's eyes popped open, and Sharon smiled at him. He'd caught her staring, and he smiled back at her, "I could feel someone staring at me," he grumbled, "and I hoped it was you and not some creepy airplane passenger."

Sharon smiled, "Guilty. I'm the creepy airline passenger."

Andy chuckled and looked to Brady, "How long has he been asleep?"

"Almost a half hour," Sharon told Andy. "We should be landing soon. I can tell we are starting to descend."

"I guess we never discussed if he was staying with you or me tonight," Andy told her. "I'm happy either way."

"I know you'd like him with you," Sharon told Andy. "It's the least I can do after you flew my other kids out to Hawaii. Andy, I can't believe you did that. I'm almost overwhelmed. It was such a great weekend. Thank you. The whole trip was wonderful, really, but the kids, I just really enjoyed every minute with them."

"Good," he smiled again. "That was the goal. I'm glad we got to see Pearl Harbor. I enjoyed that, and I'm very proud that you and I made it through the maze there while your older children got lost," he grinned as he winked to Sharon. "My prize for successfully completing the maze was pretty great too."

Sharon blushed as she looked down to Brady. The five of them had spent most of Saturday at Pearl Harbor and the surrounding area exploring. They'd spent the late afternoon at the beach where Ricky had tried a surfing lesson. It hadn't gone well for Ricky, but the rest of them had gotten a good laugh. They had all enjoyed a nice dinner at a local, outdoor restaurant where they'd had a fantastic meal and ended the night with a walk on the beach. Saturday had screamed family time. That's why Sharon had given Andy an out for Sunday; she'd offered him the day off if he wanted, a day to himself, alone, but he'd declined. He'd told Sharon that, as long as she didn't mind, he was really enjoying himself and would love to spend the day with all of them. So, they had. Everyone wanted to do some sightseeing, so they set out toward the north side of the island and discovered the pineapple plantation. Things got competitive when they found out there was a human maze.

"Let's explore in teams," Emily had suggested. "Young against old," she smiled. "We'll even give you Brady for help."

"Hmm, how kind," Sharon had smirked to Emily. "Go ahead," she gestured. "You forget we are detectives. I think we can figure out a maze."

And, they had, well before Emily and Ricky had mastered the maze. When Sharon and Andy got to the end of the maze and discovered the kids hadn't made it that far yet, they'd shared another kiss to celebrate their victory. It had been nice, sweet, and innocent. Brady was even there, between them, but they had both enjoyed the moment. They hadn't kissed much on the trip, but the few times they had, both had enjoyed it very much. Neither spoke of the kisses after either. It was something to be enjoyed in the moment, but not to be discussed or analyzed further.

They had all spent the rest of the day exploring the northern shore before returning to their hotel. It had been another great day, but before they knew it, Monday had arrived, and everyone had to fly home. Ricky had the first flight, but they all went to the airport together because Emily's flight along with the flight Sharon, Andy, and Brady had were leaving not long after Ricky. Emily's flight had taken off 15 minutes before Sharon, Andy, and Brady's flight had, and Sharon expected to hear from the kids once they landed.

She looked up to Andy's grinning face and before she knew what she was doing, she leaned toward him and pecked his lips again. "Thank you for coming on this trip and for setting up everything with the kids. I had a great time."

"As did I," he told her. "Thank you for inviting me." He leaned in again and kissed her back, both smiling as they broke apart. Brady started to squirm, his timing interrupting anything further.

"Okay then," Sharon sat back and rubbed Brady's back as she continued to talk to Andy, "you can take Brady home. I assume Provenza is picking us up still?"

"Yeah, he is. Guy asked me again if I got him coffee. Oh, I got him coffee alright," he chuckled. "Three pounds of decaf."

Sharon covered her mouth, "I saw you buy the coffee, but I had no idea you got him decaf."

"Of course! That guy has tried to mooch more from this ride to and from the airport. Yeah, I got him decaf. Guy deserved it. We'll get you home, and then I'll take Brady home. You can enjoy a quiet evening."

Hours later, Sharon found her condo quiet, too quiet. She missed her baby boy, and truth be told, she missed having Andy around in the evening to talk. She almost got in her car and drove over to see Brady and talk to Andy, almost, but she stopped herself at the elevator. She sighed, shook her head, and she went back to her condo. It wouldn't be fair to Andy to do that; she couldn't lead him on when she wasn't sure what she wanted for her own future. She decided to call him instead. That wasn't too much; she could make sure he'd gotten home okay and put Brady to bed.

"Evening, Captain. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you miss me," Andy teased when he answered the phone. Sharon was glad he couldn't see her blushing, and she fumbled quickly before answering.

"I, ahh, wanted to see if you got home okay," Sharon told him. "I was concerned Provenza might not take you home once he realized you brought him decaf coffee."

Andy started to chuckle, "Well, I was smart enough not to show him the coffee until we got to my place. You could say he was mildly irritated, oh well. Guy had been here all afternoon watching sports. He's too cheap to spring for the sports' package, so he takes over my house. I have no regrets getting him decaf after I discovered he was at my house all afternoon. Provenza," he sighed. "Everything okay on your end?"

"Quiet," Sharon replied instantly. "It's quiet here. I hope Brady went to bed okay."

"Like a champ," Andy told her. "I think he's excited about seeing his friends in day care tomorrow."

"Is he, now?" Sharon teased. "He can tell them all about his wonderful vacation."

"Time with Mom AND Dad-kid doesn't get quality time like that each day."

"What is this, Andy, between us?" Sharon asked suddenly, out of the blue. The instant the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. She wasn't ready for a conversation like this because she didn't' have an answer.

"It's called parenting, Sharon," Andy said, taking the safe road. "We're parents. We love our son."

"We do, yes," Sharon agreed. "Look, it's late, and we both have to be back at work in the morning."

"Good night, Sharon. See you tomorrow," he said, and with that, Sharon hung up and sighed. She sat back against her couch, not sure how she'd gotten out of the conversation so easily.

The next few weeks went easily as far as things between Sharon and Andy. They continued to share Brady well, and found themselves spending several evenings a week eating dinner together so each could have time with Brady. Soon, it was April. Spring break for the kids had all passed, Ricky opting to go skiing with a few friends, and Emily deciding to stay at school to work on her final performance. Easter had passed too; both kids had papers and tests, so neither had come home. Sharon needed to discuss that, Emily's performance and graduation. It was coming up, and she wanted to take Brady to Phoenix for a few days. She brought it up at dinner one evening when they were at the condo.

"As you know, Emily's graduating in a few weeks," Sharon told Andy, and he nodded. "I wanted to run graduation by you. I'd like to take Brady to Phoenix for a long weekend to see Emily's performance and graduation."

"Of course," Andy nodded. "Sharon, we can work out whatever schedule you need. That's very important. I wanted to talk to you about move out day for the boys too. I think it's the weekend before that. Have you made plans for that?"

Sharon bit her lip, "I haven't yet, and I am a terrible parent for not figuring this out. I need to get up there to get Ricky. Problem is I just don't have extra days to take off work. I can get him on a Saturday," she shook her head, thinking.

"Okay, what about this. Let's drive up there together. We can leave after work on Friday, take Brady, and we'll drive as far as we can that evening. We can figure out a good place to stop for the night. Then, we can pick up both boys on Saturday, drive part of the way back again, stay somewhere, and then finish the drive Sunday. It's a lot for the weekend, but it doesn't interfere with work, and it gets both boys home for the summer. We each need to get our kid, and this way, we can take Munchkin on a road trip."

"You're sure you wouldn't mind all that?" she asked. "Andy, the boys and all their stuff won't fit in the car, along with Brady."

"Already thought of that," he waved her off. "I bet I can borrow Freeman's SUV. He's on my team, and he hauls his boat all the time, so the car can tow things. I bet I could pick up a U-Haul type trailer to bring their things home. Guy owes me, big time, not that I'm trying to cash it in, but still," he shrugged, "the guy does. I've hauled him out of bars on several occasions. Let me work on that."

"Deal, and then I have a better idea for the next semester," she looked to Andy. "I need to get an SUV. I'm going to continue to have this problem, and Brady is getting bigger. With Emily finishing school, I'll have some money freed up. My car is getting up there on miles anyway, and this way, it fixes many of the problems we have. So yes, for now, we can see about borrowing your friend's SUV, and then this summer, I'll get my own."

"Hey, it's your car," Andy put his hands up. "I'll take care of organizing this road trip, Sharon. You've got enough on your plate with Emily graduating the week after the boys finish. It will be fun. You, me, Brady, the boys-hey, we're used to college road trips, right?"


	39. Chapter 39

The weeks passed quickly, and soon, it was time for another college trip. The boys were done with their first year. Ricky was going to work part-time at a gym near the house where he'd spent a lot of high school working out for baseball. Nate was going to take a class, one he'd dropped, at the community college and work as a lifeguard, something he'd done before too. The day had come, though, to pick up the boys. Per Andy's suggestion, they were going to leave after work, right from work. It didn't make sense to drive home, just to regroup and start north. Besides that, Brady was already in the building too, and once they got him secured in his car seat, it made sense to get on the road, even if they were going to be leaving town with everyone else in LA.

They had factored traffic into their travel plans, only hoping to get a couple hours north of the city before stopping for the night. Andy had made all the reservations and secured his friend's car. Leaving from work made that easier too; they traded cars, and after collecting Brady, Andy and Sharon were on their way.

Traffic was as heavy as they had anticipated, and both agreed to stop for dinner when they arrived at the hotel. It was insane to think getting off and finding food at this time of the day would be a good idea. Brady was content too; Sharon had already fed him prior to leaving, so without any major obstacles, barring traffic, they were on the road.

"I can't believe they've already finished a year of school," Sharon sighed, as she shook her head. "Time is passing so quickly."

"It is," he agreed. "To think, last time we each took this trip up here, to move them in back in August, we had no idea we'd be here, together with Brady, making the trip this spring."

"No, you're right, Andy. I really didn't think I'd find you, ever, and even if I did, I had no expectations regarding Brady. Thank you for going above and beyond any expectations," she smiled at him and put her hand on his. His hand was resting on his thigh, and she squeezed his hand when she clasped it. He turned to her and smiled, nodding to the traffic.

"The hotel isn't too far away. Munchkin still awake back there?" Andy asked.

Sharon turned and smiled. Brady was asleep again, his little mouth hanging open. She turned back to Andy, taking his hand again.

"No, he's asleep. You do realize he's going to be one very soon," she sighed, shaking her head.

"Yes, and you realize he's about to walk too. He's moving along the furniture well. This morning at the house, he almost had it, but I told him he couldn't walk without you seeing it at least the same time as me," Andy informed her.

She smiled, "I can't believe that either. We will have to think about his birthday party. I wish Emily could see it. It's going to be another crazy few weeks with getting the boys home, going to her graduation next week, and then after Memorial Day traveling with her to New York to get her settled. I made sure my flight from New York wouldn't miss Brady's birthday. I can't miss that."

"It will work out," Andy patted her hand. "We'll figure out a time for his party. I promise. I know you hate having your kids all over the place."

"I know," she sighed. "She'll be at least close to my parents, which is something. I'm going to miss her so much. It's different with a daughter. Ricky, even when he's home right now, he's barely home. He's usually at the gym or sleeping," she chuckled. "Emily is just my baby girl."

They had discussed Emily's move quite a bit. She had to get from the West to the East, and Sharon wanted to go with her, to get her settled. Yes, Sharon's parents were going to only be a few hours away from Emily in New York, but they were older, and Sharon wanted to celebrate this time with Emily. So, she'd checked her vacation days, and it was no surprise she had quite a few of them. She talked with Emily and with Andy to finalize the plans. Andy would keep Brady while she was gone. She would fly to Phoenix after work on the Friday after Memorial Day where she would help Emily load up the last of her things. The two would leave first thing Saturday morning to drive to New York. It was the only thing that made sense. Emily wasn't sure she was going to keep her car once she got to New York, but for now, she needed to get a lot of things across the country. They would take what they could, and Emily had sold the rest of her furniture to friends at school. She'd start fresh in New York, in something smaller than her college apartment, but she would be living her dream. Sharon would stay to get her settled, an apartment had already been secured, and then Sharon would check on her parents before flying back home the next weekend. It would be a long trip, a full week off work but she had the time, and she didn't want to be anywhere else. She hated leaving Brady, but again, knew her son would be okay with his father. It was more than she could ever say about Jack. Her daughter needed her, and she would do anything to help her.

"I hate that Emily will miss everything about Brady too. She's not going to know her little brother," Sharon sighed and turned to look out the window. The reality of Emily's upcoming move was hitting her.

"Hey," Andy reached over and grabbed her hand. He tugged on it, and she turned back to him, tears in her eyes. He glanced at her and sighed, freeing his hand to wipe away her tear. "Don't cry, Sharon," he sighed. "She's going to know her brother. She already adores him. No, she won't be here to see him each day, but technology is great anymore. She'll know him, and he'll have the best stories about visiting his big sister in New York. Sharon, she's close to him already, closer than Nicole is. I hope Nicole will get to know Brady as well as Emily does now. It's okay. Some of it is bound to happen when there's over 20 years between the kids. He's got a lot of siblings, and each one loves him, just as we do."

Sharon nodded, a stray tear slipping down, "I'm sorry. It's just all hitting me. All the kids are growing up, even the baby who is almost too big for that car seat," she chuckled, trying to change topics. Andy threw a glance back at Brady and then frowned to Sharon.

"So, I see we need to fork out a couple hundred dollars for two new car seats, hmm?" he shook his head. "Nothing but trouble, that kid," he winked to Sharon, squeezing her hand. "Pick out what you want, and I'll get them while you are in Phoenix. I'll even install yours, no extra charge," he smirked at her. She started laughing as she nodded her thanks to him.

"Looks like we are here," Sharon looked around as Andy got off the freeway. He followed the signs and pulled into the hotel a few minutes later. It was the same hotel chain they both liked and stayed at during their college trips. They had discussed staying somewhere else because neither needed a huge breakfast in the morning, but were reminded that on Sunday morning the boys would love the breakfast. Andy had booked it for two nights, Friday and Saturday night. It made sense to stay in the same place on the trip back, and the practicality of it meant they wouldn't have to take down Brady's travel crib and haul it to Stanford with them either. Sharon waited in the car with Brady while Andy got the room information. He walked out, a frown on his face.

"What's wrong?" Sharon asked.

"Well, I misunderstood the room description when I booked it. I booked the two-room suite, thinking we would each have a room. It's a two-room suite, a bedroom and a living room. I'm sorry; that was my mistake. I thought it would be two bedrooms and the common area. They only have four of those rooms, and all are booked," he explained.

"Oh, okay," Sharon shrugged. "I think we can handle that, Andy. We have traveled together before," she added. "It's not a problem."

"I'm okay with it as long as you are. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but I did add another suite for tomorrow night. They should be able to give us the room next to this one or across the hall. I was thinking we'd have enough room for everyone with my original room idea, but there's no way we can cram everyone into one bedroom and a living room area tomorrow night," he pointed out.

"No," she shook her head, "you're right about that. I'll pay for that room."

"Sharon, I messed up. I can cover it," he told her. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Fine. I'm paying for all the meals then," she smirked. He sighed and threw up his hands in defeat. The two were stubborn enough to argue about this all evening, but for once, he relented.

Andy grabbed Brady in his car seat, who was now awake. The little guy wasn't as little anymore, and he was heavy to lift, especially in the seat. He threw a couple of bags over his shoulder while Sharon pulled both their suitcases inside. They reached the room, and Andy put Brady down on the small couch. Sharon moved to get him out of the seat while Andy inspected the rest of the room.

"Ahh, Sharon," he said, his tone one calling Sharon toward him.

With Brady on her hip, she went toward the bedroom, "Oh," she said.

"Yeah, another thing I should have asked. One king-sized bed," he sighed. "You should make all the hotel reservations from this point forward."

Sharon started to laugh and Brady started to giggle when Sharon did. Andy turned to them, the laughter contagious. "Brady, Daddy is technically challenged sometimes. He can pull credit reports on suspects, but he has trouble with trip reservations."

"Ha ha," Andy turned to them, shaking his head. "Really, I can sleep out there on the couch," he offered.

"Andy," Sharon scowled and put her hand on her free hip, "have you seen it? It's a loveseat. Brady could almost stretch out on that. We'll be fine. I think if we share a son, have spent almost the last year around each other, and traveled to Hawaii, we can make it through the night."

"Okay, fine," he nodded. "I just don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"You've said that twice now," she pointed out. "Do I look uncomfortable?" she smiled.

"No," he shook his head, gesturing with his hands to Brady, "let me see this guy. Since I'm so challenged," he teased, "I'll hold him if you want to set up his travel bed. Then, maybe we can both give him a bath and get him to bed."

"Hmm, maybe then, we can get something to eat," she offered.

"I'll go in search of food. Promise. Least I can do after the room disaster," he told her. Andy started toward the bathroom with Brady.

"Andy, stop. It's not a disaster," Sharon chuckled. Things had been going well between them the last few months. Sharon had been talking to her priest more, almost every week lately. She felt the need to explore the wounds of her past. They weren't healed completely; they would never fully go away, but she was working on it. She was working hard. Her priest had asked her two weeks ago what she wanted in her future, and she'd spent a week thinking about that. He'd asked her to imagine a future without Andy, and she'd tried to do that. She couldn't do that; it hurt to think that, and the next week, the two had discussed that if she couldn't imagine a future without him, she should talk to Andy about that. She hadn't come up with any plan, any particular timing, but she did want to do that. He deserved that. She had recently been trying to be more affectionate, more open around him, and she thought he was noticing that. Both seemed comfortable around each other, more than they had ever been. Granted, some of that just came from the fact they had been getting to know each other better and better. They'd also taken a vacation with Brady, something that put them in each other's lives 24 hours a day. But, Sharon was determined to act on what she and her priest had discussed, letting Andy know about this future she wanted, a future she hoped he wanted too, a future as a family.

"Sharon, did you find his pajamas?" Andy yelled from the bathroom. Sharon snapped out of it, grabbing Brady's things.

"Coming," she called to him and walked into the bathroom to find he had finished Brady's bath.

"Well, look who is all clean and handsome," she smiled to Brady. The baby looked to her.

"Mama," he smiled happily, his four teeth showing. His vocabulary was still small, a 'Mama' and a 'Dada' here and there, but otherwise, he still didn't say much. Both wondered if he was just going to be quiet. He'd been a pretty easy baby so far, and it appeared he had a laid back personality, with no rush to talk.

"Yeah, pal, here's your mom," Andy said as he passed Brady to Sharon. "How about I go in search of food while you put him to bed?"

"Perfect. I might hop in the shower myself. I always feel like I need to wash the LAPD off myself at the end of the day," she explained.

"I know the feeling," he grumbled. He grabbed his keys and nodded to her, "I'll be back shortly."

Andy returned before Sharon could shower. He was only gone a few minutes, which happened to be just enough time to put Brady to bed. Andy slipped into the dark, quiet room, and he went in search of Sharon. He found her in the bedroom area, the door closed because she had turned on the tv.

"I was just about to get a shower. That was fast," she nodded to him. "I was hoping to find a movie or something to watch tonight."

"There was a deli about two miles away. I asked at the front desk. I got you a Greek salad and some soup. Hope that is okay. I got the Caesar salad myself, but I'll trade if you would rather have it."

"No, I prefer Greek salads, thank you," she smiled, accepting the food from him. "I guess you know that, though."

"Picked up on it," he winked. "I am a detective." The two setup their meal on the very small table in the bedroom area. There was another table out where Brady was sleeping that was bigger, but they didn't want to disturb him. Sharon continued to flip the channels until they found something to watch. They started in on their meal, staying mostly quiet, as they watched the movie.

They got caught up in the movie, their food long finished and abandoned. When it finally ended, Sharon stood and collected the containers. "That was a decent salad," she nodded. "Not bad for just down the road."

"I figure the boys will want a huge dinner tomorrow, probably some steakhouse, so having a healthier meal tonight was probably a good idea," he told her.

"Hmm, indeed. If you don't mind, I'm going to get that shower now," she told him.

"Go right ahead," he waved toward the bathroom. "There's a second sink out here. I can brush my teeth and get ready for bed just fine."

Sharon finished her shower and was silently grateful she'd packed a simple pajama set, two of them actually, for the trip. It was going to be a little awkward being in the same bed, but Sharon was realizing she wasn't panicking even as she might have a few months ago when they were in Hawaii. She'd stayed with him months ago that one night when she was a total mess, but since then, they had kept things very respectable, maybe too much so. They'd kept things at a distance, and there would be even less of that tonight with one king sized bed. She put her things back in her bag, noting Andy was sitting on the bed reading a book. He had on his new glasses. He'd told Sharon he had held off buying glasses for a couple of years, but he'd finally given in. She'd laughed at his reasoning, still chuckling as she thought about it.

 _"I can't see the book anymore," he complained when they had been in Hawaii. Sharon looked up from her laptop to wonder what had gotten Andy so frustrated. He had offered to put Brady to bed that night, and here he was, frustrated as he stood in her bedroom doorway._

 _"What?" she asked, obviously unsure of his problem._

 _"Brady! I can't see the pages to read to him. Sharon, I'm old!" he exclaimed. "I think I finally need glasses," he'd grumbled. Sharon had started to laugh, so much that she even had looked away from Andy. "It's not funny," he complained, sounding like a little kid._

 _"Poor Andy," Sharon made a sad face and had gestured for him to come sit next to her on her bed where she was working. "Try these," she offered hers. "I need mine for more than just reading, but see how these are."_

 _"Better," he nodded. "It's a little blurry, but I am sure I could read some infant board book!"_

Sharon smiled at the memory and realized she was still looking at Andy.

"What?" he asked, putting his book down as he looked to her.

"Just admiring your glasses and remembering when you finally admitted you needed them," she smiled.

He shrugged, "Kid has me wrapped around his little finger already. I'm putting the glasses on his tab so far too. Kid is costing me a fortune," he rolled his eyes in jest. "I wouldn't have gotten them if it hadn't been for Brady, but I'll do it for him," he winked.

"Have you checked on him?" Sharon nodded to the other room.

"I did, but I know you want to check on him before you go to bed too," he smiled to her. She rolled her eyes and shrugged. Sharon walked into the other room, checked on Brady, made sure the room was secure, and then she closed the bedroom door when she returned.

"He's asleep, as you are aware," she smiled to him. He just nodded. Sharon moved toward the bed.

"What side?" Andy looked up to her and asked. She hadn't been paying attention, so he repeated, "What side do you want?"

"Oh," she frowned and then started to chuckle, "I guess the middle isn't the right answer. That's where I've slept the last few years. I don't have a preference, so you pick."

"Well, I am fine where I am," he told her. Sharon nodded and climbed in as Andy turned off the light. The security light from outside cast just enough light they could still see each other.

"Sleep well, Sharon," Andy patted her hand.

"Andy?" Sharon asked, turning on her side to look at him.

"Yes, Sharon?" he shifted to look at her too.

"I do care about you," she told him.

"I know you do," he smiled to her, taking her hand in his. "I care about you very much."

"Is it more?" she asked. Andy looked at her with a puzzled look.

"More?" he asked.

"Your feelings, more? Do you think there's more to your feelings than caring about me?" she asked, now grateful he couldn't see how red her face was getting.

"Yes, Sharon," he admitted freely and easily. "I know there's more to my feelings."

"There's more to mine, too," she admitted. "It's just taken me time to sort through everything."

"I know that," he told her as he shifted closer. Sharon was glad he did; as much as she'd been thinking about the lack of distance in the king-sized bed earlier, she now felt like he was miles away as they were talking. "I know Jack did a number on you, and if I ever meet the guy, he'll get an earful from me. I know I can't imagine a future without you and Brady in it, together, not just you in it as his mom."

"I talked to my priest about that these past few weeks," she told him, "about a future with you. He asked me to imagine a future without you, and I didn't like it at all. I don't want that either," she told him.

"Sharon, I'm proud of you for taking such initiative. I know you've been talking to the priest, but it sounds like you've made a lot of headway," Andy said as he reached out and clasped her hand with his, pulling it closer to him.

"He's not there as a psychologist or anything," she admitted. "To be honest, we started talking last year with all the spiritual questions I had about Brady's birth and every sin I'd committed along the way," she chuckled. "He's easy to talk to about all of this, and he knows the situation. I've valued our time."

"Sharon, I'm not going anywhere. I more than care about you," he smiled to her. "I'm not pressuring you either because I know you are dealing with a lot of emotions. Take the time you need," he told her.

"I don't want to keep dragging my feet, Andy," she admitted. She bit her lip as she met his eyes. "Andy, life is short. You and I see that all the time at work. People die each day, many of whom have their lives cut short. I don't want to continue wasting time. I hadn't planned to discuss this like this," she gestured between them, "but here we are. I knew I wanted to talk to you about all of this soon. I'm tired of dancing around everything. Andy, we were attracted to each other immediately, and those feelings are still there. Now, I know you; it's not just a physical attraction. You are a kind, caring, loving man, and you have already been an amazing father to Brady. My only regret was not being able to find you before he was born. After I got divorced, I never thought about finding another man. It just didn't seem like something that would fit into my life, but you fell into my life, and I want you to stay, to stay in my life, Brady's life. I want us to be a family."

"I want that too, Sharon, very much," he said, running his free hand through her hair. "I want that so badly I haven't wanted to spook you," he admitted. "I know I have many of the same traits Jack did, the drinking," he sighed, "and I'll step back before I spook you, scare you away."

"You aren't going to spook me, Andy, not anymore," she sighed. "I know it seems like it's been a long time, and yet, it seems like this has moved so fast. I don't know. What is the right answer? We first met over two years ago now, so slow, fast, I don't know what it is, but I know that I've been working on my feelings and will continue to do so."

"I just want you, and with that, I want you to talk to me," Andy smiled to her. "You say you aren't going to be spooked, well, neither am I. You can tell me if things are moving too quickly. Sharon, we don't have to do anything crazy right away. We've got several kids to think about, our homes, our jobs-nothing needs to happen right now."

Sharon shifted a little closer to Andy, and in a soft voice said, "When I met you, I lost all sense of control around you. That had never happened to me with anyone," she smiled softly. "I know I've fought that since the day I first saw you again back at Stanford, and that was before I knew what an amazing man you truly are. Andy, what if I do want something to happen right now?"


	40. Chapter 40

"Don't freak out," he said quietly. He could tell she was awake now, mainly because she froze in place. He was worried she was regretting everything.

"I'm not freaking out," she told him, "promise. I saw the sunlight and thought we'd overslept, even though our human alarm clock won't let that happen."

"It's early still," he told her. "I haven't heard Brady yet." He leaned in and kissed her neck, and she turned to face him. "You okay, sure you aren't freaking out?"

She smiled warmly at him, her hand running up his arm, "I'm not freaking out. I'm very happy, Andy." She leaned over and kissed him.

"I'm happy too," he stilled her hand and grasped it. The two continued to look at each other in the silence.

"Did you get any sleep?" she asked.

"After our evening?" he teased and smiled. "Not much, a couple hours, but I'm good, very good."

"Hmm, me too, and for once, no one interrupted us," she chuckled. "It's amazing we even have Brady considering we always seemed to get interrupted before. I truly hadn't planned for everything last night," she blushed, "but, I'm very glad we talked."

"We did more than talk," he smirked at her. "Maybe I should continue to make these hotel reservations." Sharon started to chuckle, and Andy gave her a look. "You're going to wake up Brady laughing like that."

"No, I won't. The door is still closed," she pointed out.

"I cracked it open in the middle of the night when we finally went to bed," he told her.

"Mama, Dada," they heard in quick succession. Brady continued with it.

"See," Andy gestured, winking at Sharon. "I'll go get him," he said as he got out of bed. Sharon sat up slightly and watched as he went after Brady. She heard him talking to Brady.

"Morning, Pal," she heard him say and then could tell he was changing his diaper. She continued to listen as Andy talked to Brady. She could then hear him getting his bottle ready for the morning. Soon, he reappeared, Brady in hand who was holding his bottle.

Brady pulled his bottle from his mouth, "Mama," he smiled when he saw Sharon. Andy put him down on the bed, and he crawled over to Sharon.

"Good morning, my sweet boy," she said to him. Andy flopped back down, and Brady turned to him.

"Dada," he pointed to Andy. Andy nodded as if it was a surprise.

Sharon pulled Brady up, and he settled next to her. Andy handed him his bottle again, and he started to drink it.

"Brady and I do this whenever he's with me on the weekends," Andy told her. "We hang out in my bed while he has his first bottle. I think he likes the change," Andy noted, nodding to Sharon where Brady was snuggled up next to her.

"This was something I almost couldn't imagine," she looked to Andy. He was perched on his side watching Sharon and Brady. "I'm happy, Andy, and I'm not going to run from this."

"Good," Andy smiled. "I'd chase you," he admitted. "I get plenty of practice chasing suspects at work. Provenza doesn't run anymore. Although, I might run if you end up pregnant again," he teased her. "Sure you aren't on any antibiotics this time?"

She closed her eyes as she chuckled, "No, no antibiotics. I'm old, and while Brady here is amazing, I think I'd run away myself. I hate he's growing up, but I'm going to be very glad to be out of the infant stage. I need sleep again, and I don't think my body would recover from another baby. Besides, that whole notion should be about over. I'm old," she said again.

"You already said that," he rubbed his hand over his face as he grumbled. "Don't say that. If you're old, I'm even older. People are going to think I'm his grandfather taking him to kindergarten in a few years."

"They will not," she swatted at him. "He'll call you Dad, and there will be no confusion." Both started laughing at that comment. Brady took his bottle out, noting his parents were laughing and started to giggle too.

"Oh, you think we're funny, Munchkin?" Andy grinned at the baby and started to tickle him. They all were laughing and finally once they calmed down, Andy glanced at the clock. "I'm going to hop in the shower, and then I'll take care of him while you get ready."

"You showered in the wee hours of the morning," Sharon pointed out as Andy stood to collect his things from his bag.

"Yeah, but well, I was distracted," he smirked. "I need to wake up anyway. I'll be out in a few."

The three finished getting ready for the day. It was nice they didn't have to check out of the room. Andy told Sharon she could have the second room when they came back to the hotel that evening. They had things to discuss in the car, but first, they went downstairs for breakfast. Andy took Brady and went in search of a high chair for him. Sharon went to fix Brady's breakfast and find something for herself.

"I thought Brady might like a pancake," she told Andy as she put the plain pancake down. He started to break it up into small pieces. "If he doesn't like it, they are putting out more oatmeal."

"He's been enjoying pancakes. I've made them a couple of times now," Andy told her. "I saw there was apple juice. Did you bring that new sippy cup for him? Daycare said they got him to use it a couple times this week," Andy told her. Sharon nodded, digging it out of her purse.

"Yes, I'll go fill it. Of all the things I won't miss about the infant stage, it will be bottles. I'm ready to be done cleaning bottles. When we switch him to milk when he's one, I say we go right to the sippy cup, drop the bottle. He'll adjust," Sharon said.

Andy nodded in agreement, "Sounds like a plan. I bought the last case of formula last week. When it's done, we can switch him. That should be right around his birthday anyway."

"Oh, that will be such a nice relief to the budget," she chuckled.

"Tell me about it," Andy rolled his eyes. "I conned Provenza into going to the store with me. I told him I was buying beverages, a whole case. Of course, the guy thought I was buying alcohol," he chuckled. "He let me have it when he realized I was getting a case of formula, and then he wouldn't shut up about how expensive it was."

Brady stopped eating and started to giggle again. He seemed to love it when people laughed, always wanting to join in. Andy stood, "I'm going to get something to eat. Can I get you anything else?" he nodded to her.

"I'll get something in a minute. I'm just enjoying the morning," she smiled up to him.

"Me too, Sharon, me too," he squeezed her shoulder. An hour later, the three were ready to head north to retrieve the boys. They knew they still had a few hours in the car. Brady fell asleep for his morning nap a half hour after they got on the road, and Sharon turned to Andy, their hands clasped on the center console.

"So, I've been thinking, and we have the worst timing," she shook her head.

"How so?" Andy turned quickly to catch her glance.

"The boys are going to be home for three months. Andy, after last night, we can't be staying over at each other's house this summer. I don't want the boys involved in things with us. Look, I promise I'm not trying to step back from things, but wanting to have a real relationship now," she shook her head, "the timing is terrible. The kids all know we spend time together, which is fine, but I really don't want to be examined if I don't come home at night or you stay over at my place. As much as this pains me to say this, can we put this," she gestured between the two of them, "on hold for the summer? I promise it will not always be like this, but Andy, I don't want to figure this out under the microscope of adult teenage children."

Andy frowned slightly, but he nodded in agreement, "Yeah, when I couldn't sleep last night, I started thinking about the same thing. Nate is going to be at my house some, really, whenever he wants. I think that would send him running to see you there all hours of the night," he chuckled. "Your condo is bad enough with Ricky having to share a room with Brady. I'm sure he'd just love to come out of the shared room to find me brushing my teeth in your bathroom."

Sharon covered her mouth as she chuckled, "Exactly. We can still spend most of our time together, but we can haven't either of us staying overnight. I think we owe it to all the kids to figure this out before we include them. It's bad enough their knowing what transpired to get Brady back there," she smiled. "Look, I'm not trying to pretend we aren't grown adults, but for the kids' sake, can we get them back to school and then go from there? Maybe we can spend some of the summer thinking about an acceptable resolution because I think we'd both like that."

"I would," he squeezed her hand. "Fine," he nodded. "I agree with you; I just don't like it."

"Me either," she sighed. "For our future, our kids, all of them."

"I'm not going to back off from you, Sharon," Andy told her. "I'll try to be discreet, but-" he trailed off.

"As I said, the kids are used to seeing us together a lot. We can still have dinner, spend the weekends with each other. We can do this. Besides, the summer is going to fly by. We'll be back up here dropping them off before we know it.

They continued to talk the rest of the drive, agreeing that they would give themselves the summer to work on what things would look like for their future. Sharon was not backing away, as she'd told Andy already, but they knew that a long-term future, something they both wanted, had to be carefully navigated. They had Brady to consider, as well as four grown children. They had their jobs, and even now, most people did not know they had a history. They'd managed to keep their work lives separate enough so far. It wasn't something they were necessarily trying to hide, but they didn't want to be gossip around the building. The day care staff saw them together, often, but none of them seemed to think it was odd. Select individuals like Provenza and Julio knew about them too, but again, it wasn't necessarily common knowledge. The guys knew Andy had kids, including a baby, but they'd never really asked about his family, Brady's mom. All of this would play into their future, one they wanted, but were giving themselves time to sort. At the same time, they didn't want to linger forever, as Sharon had said the night before. They were giving it the summer, and decisions would be made by the fall.

An hour later, they arrived on campus to find it bustling with other parents collecting their college students. Because it was the weekend and students had to be out by Sunday morning, the campus was emptying out quickly. Many had already gone home earlier in the week, and those who were still here either had a late exam or in the case of Ricky and Nate, parents who needed to work all week. They'd stopped just a few exits away to pick up the U-Haul trailer after Andy had reserved it several weeks ago. They knew anything right by the campus would be in short supply. As they drove toward the dorm, Sharon called Ricky to let him know they had arrived.

"Hi, Ricky," she smiled into the phone. "We're on campus. Listen, it's almost 1:00 already. Why don't you grab Nate, and we can all get some lunch? Then, we can come back and tackle your rooms." Sharon listened as Ricky responded, "Sure, if you both want to bring a load down with you, we'll meet you outside your dorm, and yes, we have the trailer." Sharon hung up and turned to Andy.

"Boys meeting us outside?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "They were already hanging out together," she smiled. "Ricky still had his television hooked up, so they've been watching a movie. They are going to meet us in front of the dorm. Each one is bringing their first load."

"Okay, good," Andy nodded. How about we put Nate on the left side of the trailer and Ricky on the right?" he suggested.

"Fine by me. Just tell them what needs to be done. I will try to be as much help as I can this afternoon, but with Brady more mobile and vocal, I'm not sure how much help I'll be," she said.

Andy shrugged, "Three grown men can handle this. You can even take Brady for a walk in his stroller. Maybe he'll take a nap for you. I've heard there's a great garden nearby. I've found it a great place to meet people," he winked to her. She smiled to him.

"I love that garden," she smiled. "Great memories."

They had pulled up to a stop sign, but before Andy turned right to pull up to the dorm, he leaned over and kissed Sharon quickly, "One last kiss for the road today," he smiled to her. "As we've said, I don't think the boys would appreciate that right now. We'll wear them down by the end of the summer, though," he winked again.

Sharon smiled and laughed, "I can agree to wearing them down. I might just hold your hand, today, though, Lieutenant Flynn."

"I'd say I was pretty lucky then," he nodded and turned before someone started to honk at him. As they pulled up, the boys were waiting. Ricky offered a quick wave. Nate smiled. Andy had barely stopped the car when Sharon jumped out to hug Ricky.

"Ricky, oh, I've missed you," she said happily as she wrapped him in a hug.

"Hi, Mom," he said. "It's good to see you." Sharon pulled back to look at him.

"I think you've gotten taller. Hi, Nate. It's good to see you again, too."

"Hi, Sharon," he nodded to her. Andy had stopped the car and put the flashers on for a moment to join in the family reunion so to speak. He walked up to Nate, pulling him into his side.

"There's my college sophomore, I guess, provided you passed all your classes," he said.

"Hey, Dad," Nate nodded. "I did. Hopefully, I made Dean's List too."

"Fantastic," Sharon smiled. "We should get in the car before we get a ticket or something on this campus," she chuckled.

"Here, let's put your first load back here," Andy nodded and moved to the trailer area to open it up. The boys loaded their things, and then they moved to the car. "Brady's in the middle so you both have room."

"Brady, my man!" Ricky exclaimed as he smiled at the baby. He reached in and started to tickle his foot. Brady started to giggle again.

"Mama!" Brady looked for Sharon. She peeked over the car seat, and Brady smiled, pointing to Sharon, "Mama."

"Yeah, she's pretty cool, man. She's my mom too. We got a good one," he said. Nate slipped in on the other side, and Andy leaned in to make sure they had room.

"Everyone good here?" Andy checked before getting into the car.

"Dada!" Brady pointed to Andy. The boys nodded that they were fine, and Andy leaned in further to ruffle Brady's head. "Dada!" he said again, pointing.

"Your dad, not mine, little man," Ricky said, "although, I can guarantee you've got a better one than I do."

"Ricky!" Sharon sighed. Andy started to laugh and patted Sharon's hand before they started toward the restaurant.

"Go!" Brady smacked his seat, looking to his brothers.

"Whoa, he's talking," Nate said. "I haven't heard him talk yet."

"I think you've now heard the extent of his vocabulary," Sharon turned slightly to talk to the boys. "He says 'Mama,' 'Dada,' and 'go' so far. I bet he'll be saying quite a bit more by the end of the summer. You boys are home at a good age with Brady. He's almost walking."

"Yeah, he just about let go of the couch a couple days ago," Andy told them. "Sharon wasn't there, so I told Brady to wait. She'll kill me if I see it before she does," he smiled smugly to Sharon. She rolled her eyes at him and turned back to the boys.

"What would you like for lunch?" she asked.

Both looked to each other, "Burgers," they said in almost unison. They gave some directions and soon, the five were seated at the restaurant. Sharon and Ricky sat on one side of the table, with Andy across from Sharon and Nate across from Ricky. Brady was in a high chair at the head of the table between his parents.

They spent lunch catching up with the boys. As they ate, the set a plan for the afternoon. They'd empty one room first, and then they would move to the second. Both boys' roommates had already gone home, so there wasn't much left to do in the rooms except collect everything. Sharon agreed to take Brady for a walk when they got back to campus. It would be time for his nap.

By 6:00, they had finished on campus. It had gone much faster than they thought. Sharon walked Brady around for over an hour, and when she returned, she helped with the boys' hanging clothes and bedding. The boys turned in their keys and by 6:30, they were back on the road.

This time, they stopped for dinner during the drive. All the guys were hot and ready for a good dinner. As predicted, the boys wanted steaks, and Sharon and Andy were happy to oblige. They were almost done with dinner, when Sharon looked to Andy.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noting she had an irritated expression.

"I just realized you paid for dinner last night," she told him. Both boys stopped eating and looked to their parents, wondering the problem.

"Yeah, I did," he grinned. Sharon scoffed as she put her credit card down for dinner.

"What's the problem?" Nate asked.

"She's just irritated her deal didn't work out like she planned," Andy smiled with a smirk. "We agreed I would pay for the hotel rooms, and she'd get all the meals. Scratch that-she told me that was the plan after I refused to let her pay for some of the hotel rooms. I told her I was fine paying for everything, but then, she insisted on the meals."

"You broke the deal," Sharon pointed out.

"Mom loves her deals, Andy," Ricky smiled.

"Hey, you told me you were hungry. You put Brady to bed, so I went for food. I can't help it if your credit card wasn't there," Andy pointed out.

"Still," Sharon narrowed her eyes at him.

"Accept kindness, Sharon," Andy winked and went back to his dinner.

"It's the opposite of my dad. He always stiffs us with the bill, or at least he used to when he would show up," Ricky pointed out.

"Yeah, heard just lovely things about him, Ricky, and I have no plans to repeat his actions," Andy explained.

"I can't believe you paid for dinner," Sharon shook her head, still stuck on the evening before.

"You two sound like some old married couple," Nate pointed out as he chewed. The boys started laughing, and Andy caught Sharon's eye and smiled at her as he winked. The subject of paying for dinner was dropped, and they finished the meal before getting back on the road. Luckily, Brady was worn out and slept quite a bit of the way. When they arrived back at the hotel, Andy went inside to get the key for the second room. Sharon explained the mix-up from the night before, and when Andy reappeared, he handed her the new room card.

"Here you go," he told her. Sharon had told the boys it had been too late the night before to worry about things, and that she and Andy had done fine with Brady in the room. Neither boy asked about their sleeping arrangements, and Sharon started to blush as she thought about the previous night.

"I guess Brady can stay with you since his crib is already set up in your room," she told Andy.

He nodded, "You want to take him up? The boys and I can bring up their luggage for tonight. If you want to get him settled, I'll move your bag when I get up there."

Things were set in motion and soon, everyone had a place to stay for the evening. Ricky and Nate both claimed first showers in each of their rooms, still hot and sweaty from moving out of the dorm. Sharon and Andy stood near Andy's door; Brady already asleep.

"I guess I'll get going for tonight," she said softly to him. "It's silly," she shook her head. "I'm going to miss you."

"Well, I have that effect," he winked. "Get some rest, tonight, Sharon. I know I need it. Some lady kept me up all night."

Sharon smiled, running her hand up his shirt, "You too," she nodded. "Get me if Brady needs anything, and you're welcome to wake me when he gets up in the morning. Something tells me he won't enjoy cuddling in bed with you and Nate quite the same as this morning."

"Definitely not, and neither will I," Andy leaned in and whispered. The two heard the shower turn off, so they finished their evening with a few small kisses before Sharon walked across the hall.

"Sweet dreams, Andy," she smiled to him before shutting her door.


	41. Chapter 41

"Hello, there, Beautiful. How is New Mexico?" Andy asked when he answered the phone. He glanced at his clock; it was late, and that meant it was even an hour later in New Mexico with the time change.

"It's still hot, and we saw a lot of desert today. A LOT," she said with emphasis. "But, we are doing well. We got her out of there in a somewhat decent fashion today. Long day, but we are finally on the way. And for your information, I am not even close to beautiful right now," she teased. "Not even close. I'm pretty revolting, in fact. We had to finish loading this morning in that terrible heat, and then we've spent hours in the car. I'm very gross. In fact, it's a good thing you can't see me right now. I can't wait for a shower. Emily is getting one now."

"Well, that's where you are wrong," he said happily. "You are always beautiful, especially to me. I'm just glad I can tell you that now and won't worry you'll freak out by my saying it. Sharon, you are always beautiful, no matter what you are wearing, if anything at all," he teased again. Sharon chuckled, and Andy continued. "I know I'm not the only one who thinks that either. Brady adores you and if he could say it, he'd tell you that you're beautiful too. Have you seen the way that kid drools whenever he sees you? Wish I could be like that, but no, I'm more self-conscious than my son."

Sharon let out a full-blown laugh. It felt good to laugh. She missed Andy, and of course, she missed Brady, but this trip to move Emily was something she had to do, something she wanted to do. She, Ricky, and Brady had traveled to Emily's graduation two weeks earlier, and then, they had helped Emily start packing. Brady had shown them all his walking skills. He'd started walking three days after they had gotten home from picking up the boys, so just a few days prior to Emily's graduation. Emily claimed it was the coolest graduation present ever, her baby brother walking that week, just as she was walking to receive her diploma. Sharon loved the correlation and remembered Andy's words that the older kids would always be tied to their baby brother. Perhaps, he was right; her oldest and youngest took major steps in the same week.

Sharon had flown to Phoenix last night and stayed with Emily for the last evening in her apartment. They'd "roughed it" so to speak, sleeping on an air mattress, as the rest of the apartment had been packed or sold. Emily had loaded some items into her car, but the majority, they loaded earlier today. Emily had watched local online sales and had purchased a used car top carrier for additional storage. She figured she would sell it when she got to New Yok, but it gave her a lot more room to move things she needed and wanted. Sharon had only brought a small bag with her to allow Emily more space for her things. Sharon knew she could do laundry at the hotels if needed, and she would see her parents the next weekend and could catch up with laundry there, if necessary.

Sharon finally found her voice after the good laugh she'd had over Andy's drooling comment, "I miss you. How are you and Brady doing tonight?"

"Good," he told her. "He had a good day today. It was nice to be off after working through Memorial Day. I'm on call tomorrow and hope people can stop killing themselves for at least one Sunday. I did speak to Ricky, and if I get called in, he switched his schedule and is now off tomorrow, so no problem there."

"Okay, good," she nodded. It was nice having Ricky home. He and Brady were doing well sharing the room. Brady was staying at Andy's at least half the week, if not more, to give Ricky some sense of privacy. Sharon hated not seeing Brady every morning, but she was also spending a lot of her evenings with Andy and Brady, whether at the condo or at his house. It was an easy excuse right now, that because Brady was staying there, she wanted to see him before he went to bed each evening. That had been true, but she'd also enjoyed spending a couple hours with Andy before coming home. They really hadn't been alone, though, in the last couple of weeks. Between work schedules and college sons, they hadn't time to themselves. Sandra was having her kitchen remodeled, so Nate had decided to stay at Andy's most of the time for now. Andy was glad, yet wishing he and Sharon had some time together. She was enjoying getting to know Nate and seeing him spend time with his little brother. Sharon hoped that once she returned from her trip she and Andy could find some time to be alone, to at least cuddle on the couch together like normal people, but when that might happen, she had no idea.

"Tell me about your day," Andy encouraged. "I'll tell you that Brady tried his walking skills in the yard, and yeah, he's a bit wobbly there still with the uneven terrain. He told me he'd perfect it before you get back."

"You stop my baby right there, Andy," Sharon said jokingly. "He's already growing up too fast. I at least want to see him toddle around before he's running. Just give me another 10 days, and I'll be home to see it. He can start running on his birthday, which we still need to discuss."

"We can do that another evening. I really would like to hear about your day," he said again.

"Let's see," Sharon started, "we got her all packed up, and she turned in the keys by lunch. We had to clean the apartment too, which wasn't terrible, but it is why it took us to lunch before we were out of there. Then, we stopped at her favorite Mexican place for lunch there one last time. I know she's going to miss Phoenix even if she is going to follow her dream. She had four great years in Phoenix. Then, as you know, we drove to Albuquerque tonight. It's just about a seven-hour drive, which is plenty for today at least. I know we have a couple thousand miles to go, but for today, we needed to finish up in Phoenix and just get on the road. At least we got over 400 miles under our belt for today."

"Sounds like a very productive day. With moving, that first day, just getting going, is the hardest. Tomorrow, even though it's all driving, it should be better. It will probably be a boring day as far as scenery goes, but it will just be a day on the road. Are you still planning to drive to Tulsa tomorrow?"

"We are," Sharon nodded, realizing Andy couldn't see her. "It is going to be a long day, almost 10 hours of driving, but it has to be done. At least we will feel like we've made some progress, at least out of the hot desert, not that the middle of the country is much better, temperature wise right now," she chuckled.

"Sounds like a few long days ahead. Then, you said Indianapolis and hopefully then New York on Tuesday finally?" he asked.

"Yes, as long as we don't have any traffic issues, that is the plan. It's just over 600 miles a day these next few days, but that will get us there late Tuesday night. I've reserved a hotel room, and then she can get her apartment and key Wednesday. Hopefully, we can get her situated Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before I take the train to my parents' house Friday night. Emily feels like she should come with me, but I told her to stay and get settled. She'll see them more now that she's there, but with my trip so short right now, I still want to see them."

"I know you do," Andy told her, "and, I'm sure they will be excited to see you. Brady and I will be at the airport on Monday morning." Sharon had gotten a ticket on the early flight, putting her into Los Angeles right in the middle of rush hour. Andy was picking her up on the way to work, where she'd have a long day, but it would be worth it after all her travels. She would have a week with Emily and a weekend with her parents.

"I'm counting the days already. I really miss you both," Sharon said. "Of course, I miss Ricky too, but since he's not on the phone, I'll just let you know how much I miss you."

"I miss you too," he said sweetly. "As long as I'm not called into work tomorrow, I'm going to go buy those car seats you want. I'll install them in both cars. What do you want me to do with the old ones?"

"Hmm," Sharon sighed. "I am not sure. I don't know anyone who needs them. Gosh, it's so strange to get rid of his things now. I have all that in storage, but I guess I do need to just get rid of it. Let me think about it; maybe someone at the day care could use it."

"That's a good idea," Andy told her. "I can at least ask about it, see if they know anyone, and maybe when you get back, we can sort through and clean out everything."

"Andy," she sighed, "our baby is growing up. He's walking. He's on his last can of formula," she said with tears in her eyes. Andy could hear it in her voice.

"Sharon, don't cry. Growing up isn't a bad thing. Think of it this way-we are getting more sleep," he chuckled.

"Well, maybe," she said and looked to the bathroom where she noted she could hear the shower still running. She continued with her next phrase mindful Emily couldn't hear her. "We're only getting more sleep when Brady is with one of us. When you and I are together, we certainly are not getting more sleep."

He chuckled, "I guess that's what the summer is all about, right? We need to bank our sleeping hours because once college starts back-" he trailed off when he heard Sharon start to laugh. "Good. I got you laughing. Yeah, you're emotional because you left your baby here and your first baby is moving across the country. I get it."

"This week is good for Emily and me, though," Sharon said, fighting back tears. "I'm going to miss her so much, but we had a lot of fun today laughing in the car."

Sharon thought back to the day they'd had. She started to tell Andy about a funny conversation that had she and Emily laughing for almost a half hour.

 _"The settlers really drew a short straw," Emily blurted out after they were back on the freeway. They'd stopped for the restroom and something to drink. They were only two miles back onto the freeway when she blurted out that random statement. Sharon turned to her, an odd expression on her face._

 _"The settlers? Short straw? Care to clue me in?" she teased._

 _Emily shrugged as she drove, "Yeah, you know, they came to America and had a decent deal on the East Coast. Trees, green grass, food. Then, they hear about coming out here, how amazing it is, free land, all that. So, they travel out here in wagons. Wagons, Mom. Imagine how uncomfortable that would have been, right? They travel for weeks with not much to eat or drink. Just when they are probably ready to give up, bam, they hit the desert. Who would want to be here? They have no choice but to keep going, but there's no water, no food, and it would have been deathly hot-get it, deathly," she let out a slight chuckle. Sharon continued to look at her as if she was crazy. "I'm telling you that they drew a short straw. Those who made it all the way to the coast," she nodded, "tough people. No wonder land is so expensive in LA. Generations later and people don't want to sell. They know what it took to get there."_

 _Sharon burst out laughing, "Emily that is the strangest reasoning ever. Land in LA is not expensive because of the settler's long journey to the coast."_

 _Emily shrugged, "I'm going to go with that because as I drive and only see desert, I can't imagine days and weeks of this. Hey, I wasn't a history major, but I think my logic works."_

The two got to laughing about that and continued to laugh for the rest of the day. It kept coming up in conversation, and even as Sharon told Andy, she kept having to stop and catch her breath. She was laughing even with him.

"I'm really glad you two are having such a nice trip, even if it has been exhausting so far. Hey," she heard him call out and not to her.

"I'm guessing Nate is home?" she asked.

"Yeah, he just walked in the door," Andy told her.

"I'll let you chat with him before you go to bed. Emily's probably about done in the shower. I'm going to get mine and then get some rest. I need to recover from the air mattress last night," she told him.

"Well, sweet dreams then," he said quietly. Sharon guessed Nate was nearby, so she knew he wouldn't say anything more or inappropriate. He liked making her blush when he could; he'd even told her that.

"Sweet dreams yourself," she smiled into the phone. "Maybe I can talk to Brady tomorrow?" she offered.

"How about we give you a quick call in the morning when we're hanging out in my bed? You know he likes his milk there in the morning. We'll just be missing our favorite person," he whispered.

Sharon smiled, "I'll be missing you both too. Soon," she told him. "Soon, I'll be able to join you for those times."

"I'll hold you to it. Night, Sharon," he said and hung up.

The rest of the trip went smoothly, and the two saw more states than they cared to count on their trek across the United States. They hit major road delays on their last day, not arriving in New York until after midnight. By then, Sharon could have almost slept in the car; she was exhausted, but she wanted to do everything to get out of the car. The hotel she'd booked was a welcome relief, and both women fell fast asleep. They knew it would be a short night because Emily had to meet the property manager at 9:00 AM.

Emily's apartment was exactly how it had been pictured online, except even smaller in person. It would work, and Emily was thrilled with it. It only took them two hours to get the car unloaded, and by the middle of Wednesday afternoon, it was starting to look a little more like home. The two agreed to get a good meal, as they'd only snacked on coffee and muffins while unloading, and then to buy some furniture.

They shopped in several stores before Emily decided what she wanted. It was so late when they finished, Sharon decided to call and see if Andy was home from work yet, trying to keep in mind that while late in New York, LA was three hours behind.

"Hey!" she heard Andy say excitedly when he answered his phone. "Great timing. Brady and I just left work."

"Oh good," she said as she sunk down onto Emily's floor. They'd purchased Emily a bed, a small table, and a couch with a side chair, hoping it would all fit into her apartment. She had a little more than a studio; it had a separation between the bedroom area and the rest of the place, but still, it was small. They had measured the area before buying anything, so they were hopeful all would fit. It was all being delivered over the next two days, so for now, they were without anything but the air mattress. Sharon had bought Emily her furniture, and told Emily her parents had given her money when she and Jack got married for furniture. Sharon had gotten married right out of college, so she told Emily she planned to do the same thing for Ricky and Brady when the time came too. "We just got back from furniture shopping. Whew. Long day, but we got so much done."

"That's great, Sharon," he told her. "How's the apartment?"

"Small, but clean, safe, and very Emily," Sharon smiled. "It's got a few built in bookcases and has a homey feel. I can't explain it, but to say it's Emily."

"Very good. I'll look forward to seeing pictures of it when you get back," he said.

"Did you have a good day?" she asked.

"Mama!" she heard through the phone.

"Hi, Baby," she said. "Thank you for putting me on speaker."

"No problem. Brady, can you tell Mom the new word you were saying all day?" he asked.

"What's he saying?" she said excitedly. "Brady?"

"Mama bye," he said.

"He said 'bye' Andy! Oh, that's great," she grinned. Brady was expanding his vocabulary. She said bye to him each time she left him for the night at Andy's house, so it wasn't a surprise he'd picked up on it. He'd started saying hi a few days before.

"He kept saying that same phrase all day. I guess he was trying to tell them you are gone," Andy chuckled.

"Oh, even my baby is rubbing it in I'm not there," she sighed.

"Sharon, he and I miss you. It's sweet that he knows you are gone, but I keep telling him you will be back soon," Andy assured her. The two continued to talk for a few more minutes before Andy hit heavy traffic. Sharon got off the phone and then got ready for bed. She and Emily were going to get things for the apartment the next day-new bedding, curtains, and anything else she might need.

By Friday morning, the reality that Sharon was leaving her baby girl in the large city was hitting her hard. She had checked the train schedule and was going to take the 8:00 or 9:00 train that night to her parents' house. It was not too long of a ride, and she could take a taxi from the train station. They lived in Upstate New York, and she hadn't been home in years. She was excited to go, but sad to leave Emily. On their last day together, Sharon treated them to pedicures and a big lunch.

"Mom, can I ask you something?" Emily inquired at lunch. Sharon looked up with interest.

"Anything," she smiled. "What?"

"Does Dad even know I've graduated, that I've moved to New York?" she asked. They rarely spoke of Jack. He hadn't been around since before Brady was born, Ricky's graduation day to be exact, when he'd given Ricky $20 for graduating.

"No," she shook her head slightly as she pursed her lips. "I don't think he knows any of that. I haven't heard from him in a year, Ricky's graduation in fact. I don't even know where he is."

Emily nodded, "That's what I thought. Man, he really is a crappy father."

Sharon closed her eyes before continuing, "Yes, Emily, he is. Please do not make the same mistake I made. I was young and stupid. I feel for his charming self, and I should have seen the warning signs. They were there, even back then, but I ignored them. I won't say it was a mistake because I have you and Ricky," she offered a small smile.

"I know, Mom. I just hate how crappy he's been to all of us," she told her. "Mom, I know he hurt you, but please promise me you won't ever let him back home again. Promise. You can't take him back again."

"I won't," Sharon shook her head. "I divorced him because I'd had enough. He'd done enough to all of us. I can promise you he won't be back in my life. My life is mess enough already," she shook her head. "I've got two Flynns now in the middle of my life. Two Flynns and two Raydors-you and Ricky. I think that's plenty for me," she offered a small smile.

"I'm glad Andy stuck around," she told Sharon. "He's going to stick around, isn't he?"

"He is," Sharon nodded. "I know you never knew any differently, but not all dads take off, Emily. As reckless as I was, and don't do that either," she sighed as she closed her eyes, "he's a good dad, a good man. He's going to be there for Brady."

"What about you?" Emily asked. "Has he been helping you, I mean, financially and all? I know he was, but is he still doing that? Mom, I just worry about you, worry about Brady, and worry he'll ditch you like Dad did."

Sharon squeezed Emily's hand, "We have a good arrangement with Brady, and I don't anticipate that will change. We take turns with his day care bill. We take turns buying things like diapers and his formula. Just this past weekend, he bought two new car seats because your brother is growing out of his old one. Andy installed them in both cars, and with you out of college, I'm going to start putting more in his college fund. Nicole is going to graduate in December, just a semester later because of her program, and then, Andy is going to do the same. I don't like to get into the details of your dad, but as you are well aware, he didn't help. He took instead of provided. Andy's doing a good job, and I expect that will continue."

"I hope it does, Mom," Emily offered a small smile. "I can't help but worry. It's even worse I'm 3,000 miles away now."

"Emily, my job is to worry. That's what Moms do. I'm fine. Your brothers are both fine," she assured her. "I'm supposed to worry about you, which I do and will continue. You are not to worry about your old mom. I've made my share of mistakes, but I've learned from them and am doing just fine. Andy even talked about making sure Brady comes to New York as he gets older to spend time with his big sister. He knows this is a huge move for you, and we both want Brady to know all four of his siblings. Yes, you are all much older than he is, but you are family, and Andy is aware of that too. Do not worry about me. I'm the detective, and I'm leaving you here, a huge city, where you are on your own."

"I am going to miss you, Mom," Emily reached over and hugged Sharon. The two had their moment and finished their lunch. It was mid-afternoon, and the two needed to finish the last of their errands so Sharon could get her things and head to the train station.

As they walked down Emily's block back to her new apartment, Sharon commented on the day care group they passed. It was some sort of summer camp, all the kids in ballet outfits. She and Emily recounted Emily's childhood, talking about just how long ago that seemed. Emily told Sharon she hoped to find a part-time job at a ballet studio in New York just as she'd had in Phoenix. They continued to talk about Emily's childhood of dance until they reached her building, both women laughing about some of Emily's different recitals. They had almost walked by her building they were so lost in memories, but caught themselves and started up the stairs.

"Oh, my goodness!" Sharon exclaimed when they stepped on the first step. Sharon had glanced up the steps, aware others were on them too. "What are you doing here?" she asked, tears in her eyes.

"You didn't think Brady would let his sister move across the country without saying good-bye, did you?" Andy teased. He shrugged, as he handed Brady to Sharon. "I moved around my days off. Provenza is a teddy bear deep down, but don't tell him you know that. He has a soft spot for Brady, which I used to my advantage. I told him the kid missed his mom," he shrugged. "Brady and I caught the first flight out this morning. We wanted to surprise you. That's part of the reason I asked for Emily's address when you gave me all the travel details. Anyway, we arrived here about a half hour ago, and I figured you would be back here soon. Surprise," he flashed a grin. Emily stood to the side, her hand covering her mouth.

Sharon peppered Brady with kisses and mouthed a "thank you" to Andy. "I just don't even know what to say!" she exclaimed.

"I do," Emily jumped in. "Andy, it is nice to see you," she smiled brightly. "Mom, you will turn over the baby brother for at least a few minutes before you leave. Oh, Andy, you didn't know that Mom isn't going to be here, did you? She's headed to my grandparents' home tonight."

"They are expecting all three of us," Andy grinned and turned to Sharon. "I hope it's okay, but I conspired with your parents on this. Your mom is so excited to see Brady. I was worried she'd spoil the surprise. She went out and bought a travel crib and a few toys, even though I told her I could bring some of that," he chuckled. "They can't wait for the weekend. I managed to get us onto the same flight home, so I wasn't lying when I said I'd see you at the airport on Monday."

"Oh, Andy Flynn," she shook her head.

"Can we at least go upstairs?" Emily asked. "I'd like to see my brother in my apartment before you have to leave."

"Of course," Sharon nodded. She looked to what Andy had brought with him. "I hope you managed okay with everything."

Andy shrugged, "It was fine. I brought his old car seat since it fits on the stroller. Besides the car seat and stroller, you see I just grabbed his diaper bag and the one rolling bag for our things. It wasn't bad, but I'll get all that if you two want to take Brady up."

Emily wiggled her hands for Brady, so Sharon turned him over to her. She went to help Andy, but before she did, Emily leaned in, "Dad would never do this. I think you're right, Mom; I don't have to worry about you."


	42. Chapter 42

Sharon smiled warmly at Andy as she held Brady on her lap, "I can't believe you came all the way here." They were on the train and were due to arrive in less than five minutes. They'd had a nice visit with Emily, staying a couple of hours after Andy and Brady surprised them outside. Brady had shown off his improving walking skills and spit out, "Me" to call Emily. Andy had noticed Emily had a shelf set that hadn't been assembled, so he volunteered to do that before leaving. He'd told Emily he knew she was more than capable, but he wanted to do something to help her. She'd accepted. Before leaving, Andy also walked down the block to a Chinese restaurant where he had gotten take-out for everyone, and they had enjoyed that at Emily's place too. Their good-bye had been bitter sweet, unsure of their next visit.

 _"He's not going to remember me, is he?" Emily held Brady and looked at him with a sad face. Sharon cupped Emily's chin and smiled at her._

 _"He'll remember you. We won't let him forget. We'll talk to you through the computer, and you will still see him grown up. He's going to have the best stories of visiting his big sister," Sharon smiled, pulling Emily and Brady in for a hug._

 _"Take care of them, Andy," Emily smiled to him, giving him a hug as well._

 _"Him, of course," Andy smiled. "Her," he hooked his thumb to Sharon, "I'll try," he rolled his eyes, "but, you and I both know she doesn't need or want anyone taking care of her."_

 _Emily laughed because it was her way of not crying. She nodded, and she turned back to hug Sharon again._

 _"I love you, Mom, and I'll miss you," she said._

 _"I love you too, Emily, and I am so proud of you. Be safe here. We'll talk soon," she nodded to her and collected Brady from Emily before heading out the door._

Now, that they had been on the train for awhile, Sharon was able to start composing herself again. She'd cried briefly when they had finally gotten settled in their seats and the reality of leaving Emily had really hit.

Andy leaned in, his head close to Sharon's, "I had several reasons for our surprise visit," he told her quietly. "They are in no particular order," he grinned, and Sharon chuckled, a stray tear running down her face. "I wanted to see you; I missed you. Brady wanted to see you and obviously missed you too," he smiled to Brady. Brady had been repeating, "Mama," over and over since seeing Sharon. It did appear he'd missed her. "I also knew you would have a tough time leaving Emily and a positive distraction such as my ruggedly handsome face would help," he winked to her. Sharon let out a small laugh as she continued to look at him. "I knew your parents have missed Brady, and they haven't seen him since Christmas. I figured this was a good trip for all of us, well, maybe not as much me at your parents' house," he grinned, "you know, the guy who knocked up their daughter," he shrugged with anything but an innocent look. "I'll take one for the team, though," he winked to Sharon.

She shook her head, "First, they don't hate you," she told him. "Knocked up is not my favorite term, and it's not just that anymore."

He raised his eyebrows, "Are you going to tell them that?"

"No," she clasped his hand in hers, a small smile. "That would be the fastest way to tell the kids," she chuckled, "but they don't hate you. I'll let you take Brady inside when we get there. They won't hate anyone holding the baby. They don't hate you partly because you did give them their youngest grandchild, whom they adore."

"Well, I'm not worried about what they think. We aren't 20 years old, Sharon. I am worried about what you think, you alone."

"I think you are amazing, and your surprise was just that, a surprise. It was a wonderful surprise, Andy. I didn't realize how much I needed a good distraction when I had to leave Emily. You do realize I would have been a crying mess on this train, and everyone would have figured I had gone crazy," she gave a small smile.

Andy reached over and put his arm around Sharon, "You're not crazy. You're a wonderful mother who just spent the last week driving across the country with your daughter to set her up in a new home 3,000 miles from you. Oh, and you had to do all that, leaving behind your other two sons, one of whom is almost one," he smiled to Brady who was rubbing his eyes. The time change was going to be interesting with him.

Sharon sighed, "Oh, that's the next thing! Don't even remind me," she groaned. "He's turning one in just a few days, Andy."

Andy leaned in and kissed her head, "I know. Your mom is making him a birthday cake.

"She is?" Sharon looked to him, surprised once again.

"Mmm hmm," he nodded. "We talked about that too. I know we'll do something with the boys in LA, but when she spoke about being able to give Brady his birthday presents instead of sending them, she asked if it would be okay to make him a cake. Of course, I said you would love it."

"I would," she agreed. "Thank you." She leaned in and gave him a sweet kiss.

"Looks like we are here," Andy noted as the train was pulling into the station. Sharon looked up too.

"Yes, it does," she agreed, as she started to collect her purse and diaper bag.

"Okay, then, hand over the baby," Andy told her. She looked to him, and he continued, "Your parents are meeting us here," he shrugged again. "I knew you were unsure of the exact train you were taking, but I called them when you were in the restroom before we boarded. That's the last surprise I have, so if you are claiming they won't hate me, hand over the baby," he grinned.

Sharon chuckled and started to hand over Brady.

"I'm just teasing," he kissed her head again. "I think they'd hate me more if they saw me with Brady and you with all the luggage and stroller. Plus, I've had him the last 10 days, and they'd be even more irritated if I didn't let you hold him after you've not seen him for so long."

Sharon turned to him and kissed him before she spoke, "They don't hate you, and I hope you are okay with my not telling them we are together. I want to keep you to myself for the summer."

"The summer fling," Andy jokingly rolled his eyes. Sharon laughed, resting her forehead against his shoulder.

"Here's the result of our college fling," she continued to chuckle as she pointed to Brady. They both started to laugh, as Andy hugged Sharon close to him.

"Come on; time to greet the firing squad," he stood and helped Sharon collect everything.

"Mom, Dad," Sharon squealed out excitedly just a few minutes later. She was holding Brady, and Andy was following behind with all their things.

"Oh, Sharon, so good to see you," Sue smiled at her, giving her a big hug. As the two women gushed over Brady, Bill walked up to Andy.

"Andy, nice to see you," he stuck out his hand to greet him. "Thanks for this," he nodded to the women.

"Bill, nice to see you. Thanks for helping with the surprise and having me," he nodded. Sue and Sharon had turned to then, and Sue came up to Andy as well.

"Andy, it's nice to see you again," she smiled and leaned up to hug Andy.

"The co-conspirators," Sharon smiled at the two. Andy shrugged.

"Guilty," he told her as if they hadn't already discussed this. "Brady and I can just head home if you aren't happy about it," he said as he hooked his thumb back toward the train.

"I'm keeping him," Sue smiled to Brady as Sharon handed him over to her. When Sharon's hands were free, she started to help Andy collect things. They wouldn't let Bill help, so he walked with Sue, leading them to their car.

"I hope there is enough room in the car," Sue told them. "Andy said he was bringing Brady's car seat."

"Yes, this is it," Sharon nodded to the stroller. "We just bought him new car seats because he's getting too big for this one, but it will be fine for the trip."

"I'll put it in, Sharon if you want to fold up the stroller," he offered.

It took just a few minutes, but finally everyone was situated in the car. Sue offered Andy to ride up front with Bill where he had more leg room.

"This is one fine looking boy," Sue spoke up after they'd gotten on the road. "I can't believe how much he's grown in just a few months. I can't wait to see him walking!" she exclaimed.

"He put on a show for Emily," Sharon smiled as she played with Brady's fingers. He pointed to Sharon and again said, "Mama!"

"Oh, that little voice," Sue smiled. "He's just adorable. I can't decide who he looks most like."

"We think my daughter, Nicole, right now," Andy chimed in. "I should have brought one of her baby pictures, aside from the obvious difference of her looking more like a girl and Brady looking more like a boy, they have a lot of the same features."

"Yes," Sharon agreed. "We pulled out the baby pictures of all four one day to compare to Brady, and he does look most like Nicole."

"Hmm," Sue nodded. "You'll have to email me that. I'd enjoy seeing it."

"His temperament seems to be much like Ricky's so far," Sharon told her. "Laid back, so we shall see."

"Not to worry," Andy turned and smiled to Sharon, "I'm sure Brady will have the same irritation for Provenza I do."

Sharon chuckled at that, turning to her mom, "Provenza is his partner. They have a love-hate relationship, really all love, but they often pretend to be completely irritated by one another. Provenza, who might look like he is irritated by children, adores Brady too."

Sue and Bill both chuckled at Sharon's explanation. Bill joined the conversation, "So, how is Emily? Tell us about her place. We'd like to go down there soon to check on her."

"She's so excited," Sharon started. "Her apartment is small, but it is perfect for her. It's got enough room for everything we bought her. The table wasn't there yet, but the bed and couch came. Andy put together a shelving unit today before we left. I helped her get some curtains up and bedroom and bathroom unpacked. This morning, we made a trip to the grocery store, so she should be stocked for a little bit."

"I'll take some food when we go," Sue told them. Andy chuckled at the ladies' concern for Emily.

"I should ask all of you what is planned for this weekend?" Sharon teased. "Seems as if I'm the one in the dark on this portion of the trip."

"Nothing at all," Bill told her. "We have no plans other than to spend some time with you. "We'll get you to the airport on Monday too."

"Oh, you don't need to do that," Sharon waved them off. "It will be so early, and we can take a taxi or something."

"Nonsense," Bill told her. "You are our daughter, just as Emily is yours, even if you think you are all grown up. We have nothing to do Monday, so we can drop you three off and come home and rest. It's the least we can do. We heard you have to both go to work when you get in."

"We do," Andy nodded, "but, that's okay. It gave us all an extra day here."

They arrived at the house, Andy turning to Sharon with complete surprise. He didn't comment until they were getting the last of the things out of the car. They'd given Brady to Sue, and Bill had followed her with the diaper bag.

"This is your home?" he asked, nodding to the large, well-manicured home.

Sharon smiled at Andy, "It is. I grew up here. I'm excited to show it to you."

"You didn't mention your parents were that well off," he noted.

She shrugged, "I seemed to snag you anyway," she smiled with a sly smile. Andy rolled his eyes.

"Andy, my parents helped me get back on my feet when Jack took off. I worked hard to pay them back every cent, not that they asked for it or even wanted it. They've been good to me, and yes, I grew up well off, but it doesn't define me."

"I'm just surprised it's this," he nodded to the house. "Now, I really do look like the moron who knocked up their daughter," he sighed.

She tugged on his arm, "Come on. Let's get everything inside. I'm sure Mom has Brady walking around already. It's late, and we all need to get some sleep, and you are not a moron."

Once they were inside, Bill showed them around the main floor of the house, while Sue fed Brady a banana and some Cheerios. After that, they showed them to the bedrooms.

"Our bedroom is on the main level," Bill explained even though they'd just seen that on the tour. "Sharon, we didn't know where to put Brady, with you or Andy."

"It doesn't matter," Sharon shook her head. "Either of us is fine."

"We put his travel crib in your old room, Sharon," Sue said, walking behind them, carrying Brady. "I didn't know how to set it up."

"I'll take care of that," he told the group, moving into the room to set up the crib.

"Andy, we put you down the hall in Abigail's old room. Abigail was Sharon's sister who lived in Pennsylvania. They hadn't seen each other in quite some time either, even though Sharon spoke to her on the phone regularly. He nodded as he continued to work.

Brady rubbed his eyes and yawned again, "I think I am going to get him ready for bed," Sharon told them.

Bill and Sue nodded, heading back downstairs. Sharon and Andy promised to join them for a few minutes after they got Brady settled.

"So, this was your room?" Andy asked looking around it. The room had been remodeled and painted snice Sharon had left, but it had been her bedroom.

"Yes," Sharon smiled at him as she changed Brady's diaper and clothing. "The furniture is newer," she told him, "because I'm old," she chuckled. She stood up with Brady, and she took him into the bathroom where she brushed his few teeth and washed off his face. When she returned, Andy had Brady's crib ready. They put him to bed, and he was asleep almost instantly. They wanted to wait a few minutes before leaving the floor in order to make sure he wasn't going to wake up again. They walked down the hall toward Andy's room, which he hadn't seen yet.

"This was your sister's room?" he asked. Sharon nodded as they looked around. It looked similar to Sharon's room, just with different bedding now.

"It was," she smiled. "We had a lot of good times up here. I've never had a boy up here, though," she grinned at Andy.

He raised his eyebrows, "Oh, really?" he said with a surprised look. "Jack?"

Sharon shook her head, "No, the one time I brought him home during college, Dad made him sleep on the couch downstairs. Abigail was still at home, and at the time, it didn't dawn on me that they never offered him the spare room by their bedroom," she chuckled. My parents do like you; you get a room," she continued to laugh. "They never ever liked Jack, which should have been my warning sign. I don't know how I didn't realize until just now they made him sleep on the couch. We moved after we got married, and Jack never came back here with me. When I started traveling here with the kids, Jack was long gone."

Andy sighed as he listened to Sharon. He walked closer to her, putting his hands on her hips. Both their eyes sparkled. "So, I guess you've never kissed a boy up here either?"

"Ricky," she nodded, before she burst out laughing. "Not as you are inferring, by your wandering hands," she gestured to her hips, where Andy's hands were running and down her side.

"Definitely not, no," he grinned and the two started kissing. They stood there kissing for a few minutes, aware they needed to go downstairs too. Sharon had her arms wrapped around his neck, and when the two broke apart, she smiled at him.

"Come on," she nodded to the door. "It sounds like your son decided to go to sleep. Let's visit with my parents for awhile and then we can resume this later?" she teased as she asked him.

He smiled, "So, can I call you Goldilocks then?" he teased back. She shook her head.

"I'm not leaving my bed," she told him, matter of fact.

"That is a problem," he nodded, as they walked into the hall. "It's going to be lonely in my room by myself, knowing you and Brady are together. I might need to check on you both."

"You might. Just be glad my dad didn't put you in the guest room across from their room," Sharon winked and pulled him with her down the stairs before he could say anything further.


	43. Chapter 43

**My Internet was down yesterday, so I have a couple of chapters banked. Here's the second one for today. Someone had commented they would like to see a fight with an admission...it's not quite that, but this was already written and is along those lines. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Room for one more?" Andy whispered when he pushed open the door. It had been left partly open already. In the faint hallway light, he saw Sharon flip back the bedding for him.

"I'm somewhat selective, but yes," she teased him as he padded into the room. The house was dark and quiet. Andy checked on Brady as he tried to tiptoe past him and got situated in bed.

"Hi," he leaned in and kissed her. She returned it and moved over to put her head on his shoulder.

"I'll let you stay, but you've got to stop talking," she whispered again. "If you wake him up, I'm going to the other room for some sleep. I'm exhausted. I think the week is catching up on me, and it's nice to finally be off that air mattress from Emily's house."

"I'll stop talking," he told her. "I just wanted to sleep in here with you two."

"I'm glad you are here," she patted his chest. "Goodnight, Andy," she yawned as she started to fall asleep. She felt Andy pull her tighter as she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Brady greeted them from his travel crib. He stood smiling calling to both. Sharon, who was closer, got to him first.

"Good morning," she told him as she got him up and changed him. Andy started to stir and sat up himself, trying to wake up.

"Kid is going to be the one to out us," he chuckled. "I can take him downstairs for his milk and breakfast if you want," he offered.

"No," she smiled to him. "I can, or we can go downstairs together. You're a guest," she told him.

"You don't need to do anything special for me," he told her, and she released Brady who ran over to Andy.

"Dada," he smiled happily. Andy picked him up and plopped him down on the bed, as Brady started to giggle.

"You are special," Sharon smiled, "to me. Come on; we can get him some breakfast. I'm not sure if my parents are up yet, but we can check."

"Let me grab more clothing," Andy chuckled now with Brady in his arms. "I'm sure your parents would love my boxer shorts look."

"Well," Sharon shrugged in jest. She smiled at him. She worked on her own appearance before the three made their way downstairs. Brady pushed off Andy wanting to be put down, and he toddled after Sharon toward the kitchen.

"Good morning," Sharon smiled to her mom as they all entered. Brady looked around at everyone, possibly trying to remember everything. It had been late when they arrived, and Brady had been tired.

"Morning," her mom smiled. "Your dad just went out after the paper. I was going to make some pancakes. I thought Brady might enjoy that."

"He would," Sharon nodded. "Let me get him some milk now," she nodded. Andy chimed in.

"I'll grab his cup. I know there are extras in the diaper bag," he told them and went in search of the bag. Brady followed Andy.

"Dada!" he exclaimed following him. The women smiled at the baby.

"He seems to like Andy," her mom noted, "as Andy seems to like Brady."

"He does," Sharon agreed, "on both accounts." She turned toward her mom, "How can I help?"

"I've got this," she added. "I was going to make some bacon. I remember Andy doesn't eat meat, does he?"

"No," Sharon shook her head, "he does not, but bacon sounds great. He watches what he eats, a lot due to maintaining a healthy lifestyle."

"If you want to get showered and dressed, I'll keep an eye on Brady too," she nodded to Sharon. "I got him that booster seat that straps onto a regular chair. When Andy and I spoke on the phone, we talked about a few things, the travel crib mainly, but I saw this at the store and thought it would be a good purchase."

Sharon nodded to it and smiled to her mom, "Yes, thank you. I still can't believe he surprised me like that, you too," she chuckled. The guys reappeared, cup in hand. Brady was getting impatient, not understanding that the cup wasn't full yet. Sharon fixed him his milk and put him into the chair to get his started. She turned to Andy, "If you want to shower first, I'll get him started and then shower myself. Mom said she'd keep an eye on him while we both get ready."

"Will do," Andy nodded. "I'll be back down here to help with Brady and breakfast shortly," and he was gone. Sharon looked around the kitchen, and she grabbed a banana for Brady as well. She sat in the chair next to him while he ate.

"Did you sleep well?" her mom asked. "It's been a long time since you were home."

"I did," Sharon smiled. "It was nice to be back in a bed after several nights on Emily's air mattress," she chuckled. "Brady slept well too, not a sound from him all night."

"Good," her mom smiled. "I don't know if Andy told you, but I offered to make a birthday cake for Brady."

"He did," Sharon smiled brightly as she gave Brady more of the banana. He was getting messy with it. "I appreciate that. I was a little frustrated about his birthday, just worried I wouldn't be home to get anything together. It's a big day for him," she grinned at the baby.

"Well, I'll make that today then," her mom explained. "Do you have any plans, anything you want to do?"

"No," Sharon told her mom. "I'm just happy to be here. We're up for anything."

Sharon's dad came into the kitchen then, "Ahh, good morning, Sharon," he told her as he patted her shoulder and sat down. "Good morning, to you Brady," he smiled at the baby. Brady looked around, unsure of the people.

"Mama," he pointed to Sharon. He looked around and back to Sharon, "Dada," he said to her as if asking where he was.

"It's sweet to hear him start talking," her dad chuckled. "It's been a long time since I've heard a baby starting to talk."

"Yes," Sharon smiled as she wiped off Brady's hand. He repeated himself, "Dada?"

"Daddy is in the shower," Sharon told Brady. "This is Grandpa," she pointed to her dad, "and Grandma," she pointed to her mom. She turned to her parents, "He started calling Emily "Me" yesterday. It was so sweet." She looked back to Brady and pointed to her parents again, repeating the names. Brady just grinned at everyone, banana all over his face.

"Andy seems to be managing Brady well," her dad pointed out. "Impressive he'd even want to fly across the country with a baby. We were very surprised when he called and suggested all this-glad, but surprised."

Sharon nodded, giving Brady the last of the banana, "I'm really glad they came," she smiled to Brady as he grinned at her. "Andy is a very good dad. Things with Brady are going well."

"I hope he hasn't been drinking, Sharon," her mom commented with a note of caution in her voice.

"Mom, I know you are concerned," Sharon sighed, trying not to get upset. She realized her parents had good reason to worry with her history with Jack and just knowing about alcoholics in general. She also was trying to be patient; they didn't live near her, so they didn't see Andy on a regular basis. He's not drinking, Mom. He hasn't had a drink in almost seven years now. He's not planning to either."

"I just worry, Sharon," her mom told her. Sharon nodded that she understood.

"Ricky seems to like him," her dad chimed in. "Granted, we haven't spent much time with Andy, so you can understand our concern."

"I do," Sharon nodded, "and I know you still question my judgement, but Andy is doing a good job, a very good job. Yes, Ricky likes him. He's been around him quite a bit with school and all. Andy's been very helpful with that too. It's been nice having the boys up there together, not that we planned out any of that."

"How about dating?" her mom asked. "Is Andy dating anyone? I cautioned you of this at Christmas, Sharon."

Sharon held back her smile and just nodded to her mom, "Mom, he spends his time with Brady and me. When he's not at work or with his other kids, he's with Brady and me. There's not another woman."

"So, you?" her dad asked, now prying.

Sharon stood, "I am just going to get my shower and leave this conversation. You can ask Brady anything you want," she grinned. "Andy should be down shortly for his inquisition," she rolled her eyes. "Please, I know you didn't like Jack. Andy is not Jack. Please try to remember that."

"We will, Sharon," her dad nodded, using his hand to wave at her. "Go get your shower. I'm sure we will talk later."

Sharon could hear Andy was shaving in the bathroom so she went in search of her clothing. She flopped down on the bed, mentally exhausted already from her parents' questions. Yes, she understood them and would most likely ask of anyone Ricky or Emily brought around too, but it still was a bit frustrating at her age.

"Hey," she heard and looked up. Andy was standing in the doorway in khaki shorts and towel drying his hair. "Have you seen my watch?" he asked and when he caught Sharon's eye, he looked at her with question. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she smiled to him. "Parents being parents, so be ready. They're grilling Brady at the moment, but he's not talking," she chuckled. "I know they just care."

Andy nodded as he came and sat down next to Sharon. "Anything in particular?"

"No," she patted his hand and looked to him. "They mean well, and I thought I saw your watch there by Brady's bed," she nodded. Andy looked and nodded as well.

"I see it," he told her. "Your parents love you, Sharon. I get it. I told you before I'd probably have already shot a guy in my shoes with Nicole," he chuckled. "Go ahead and get showered and dressed. I need to go downstairs before I get myself in trouble up here," he grinned at her as his had slid up the back of her shirt.

She chuckled and leaned in to kiss him, "You know, while I was in New York, we spoke to Ricky. He talked about flying to New York for a few days before going back to school."

"I'll pay for his ticket myself," Andy chuckled as he kissed Sharon one more time before standing to get his watch. "You let me know when he books that ticket," he winked to Sharon and walked out of the room. Sharon sighed as she stood, hoping they would have a good visit with her parents.

The morning went well. Breakfast was a big hit with Brady, especially. After it was over, Sharon and Andy took Brady out in his stroller for a short walk around the neighborhood. She pointed out things to Andy from her childhood. When they got back, Andy put Brady down for his nap, and they went in search of her parents.

"There you two are," her dad nodded to them. "Andy, I was about to go the grocery store. Sue needs a few things to make Brady's cake. Why don't you come with me?" he asked.

"Sure," Andy nodded. "Let me just grab my wallet," he told her dad and went in search of that.

"Be nice," Sharon pointed to her dad. He raised his hands to her in return. "Mom, I can help with the cake," Sharon told her and her mom nodded in agreement.

"That would be nice, Sharon. We were thinking grilling out fish this evening," her mom suggested. "That's one of the things your dad was going to check on at the store. Does Andy eat fish?"

"He does," Sharon smiled. "Thank you for thinking of him. I'm sure you two will can figure out dinner." Andy returned, and the men left for the store. Sharon's mom started with questions again.

"You and Andy are a lot more comfortable with each other even compared to Christmas," her mom pointed out.

"Well, we know each other better, Mom. He's been back in my life almost a year now, and even before then, we didn't know each other well."

"Sharon, as cautious as I am about Andy in your life, I can see he is a good man. I just worry he'll mess up, do something like Jack did with you. I can tell by your avoidance this morning, you don't want to talk about your personal life, but I am your mom. I still want the best for you, no matter how old you are, and I want the best for your kids. Emily and Ricky got a raw deal with their dad. Tread carefully with Andy, but at the same time, don't let a good thing go. I can see he cares about you and you about him. He was just delighted to pull off this surprise, and as your dad and I said, he impressed us with his plans. If you have the opportunity to give one of your children a somewhat normal life with two parents, do it. Don't be so set in your independence to mess this up if this is what you want. Sharon, I saw the way you seemed to adore Andy at Christmas, and it seems to have grown even more. I won't press you, but just keep all that in mind."

Sharon closed her eyes and nodded. She walked to her mom and hugged her, "Thank you, Mom. I know you are just concerned. We are working through a lot of things, things I'm not ready to discuss yet."

"I trust you will discuss them when you are," she squeezed Sharon's hand when she pulled back. "We want you to be happy. If your happiness is with Andy, just proceed with caution, making sure he's not going to mess up everything."

"I'm happy with Andy, Mom," Sharon squeezed her mother's hand. "We want Brady to have a normal set of parents if we can too."

Brady started crying out, ending the discussion. Sharon went to get him and hoped Andy wasn't being interrogated by her father. The men returned from the store later, and she couldn't get a read on things. Andy seemed fine, but she was sure some conversation had taken place. Her parents had reason to separate the two for the outing. She didn't get a chance to speak to him until later in the afternoon when they were in the backyard with Brady. Andy had offered to start the grill for dinner, and Brady was trying to toddle around the yard.

"How bad was it with my dad?" Sharon asked as they followed behind Brady.

Andy shrugged, "It was fine. We don't have to talk about it."

"So, I'm guessing he grilled you just as my mom grilled me?" she asked.

"Some," Andy nodded, "but really, it's fine."

"What did he ask or say?" she questioned.

"Really, don't worry about it. We talked at Christmas, and this was just more of that," he told her.

"Yes, Christmas, which you wouldn't tell me about," she pointed out.

"Sharon, your dad loves you. It was fine," he turned to her and smiled in reassurance.

"My mom asked if you were drinking," Sharon told him trying to open the conversation. "It wasn't that she thought you were, but she was concerned about my past with Jack, that you could start drinking again. Of course, I told her you weren't."

"Thank you," he told her. "As you know, it's a constant struggle, but I will keep fighting it. You and Brady make me want to keep fighting, my other kids too. I'll fight."

"Andy, please talk to me," Sharon begged him. Andy turned to her, checking to make sure her parents weren't outside yet.

"He's worried about you," Andy started to explain. Brady was still walking around, so they were still following him. "He was worried at Christmas; he's worried now."

"What did he say at Christmas?" she asked again.

Andy ran his hand through his hair, "Fine. He told me that he didn't know me then, but he told me that if I had any plans to walk out on you and Brady to go ahead and do it then. He couldn't stand to see you pick up the pieces once again. He and your mom had already watched you do that when Jack left. He told me he'd watched two of his grandkids grow up without a dad, and it sickened him, so that if I had any reservations about staying, about being Brady's dad to go ahead and leave then. He said he'd respect me more if I did that than if I led you two on and trashed you later."

"He said that?" Sharon asked, almost breathless.

"He did," Andy nodded, "and, I get that. I told him I wasn't going to leave, that I might have been a drunk when my kids were young, but I'd learned the hard way. I wasn't about to lose another family."

"Andy," Sharon sighed, shaking her head.

"Even back then, he told me that he'd come after me if I hurt you. He said at Christmas, Sharon, that he and your mom could see love with you. They could tell you loved me. I told him then that wasn't in the picture, that you were working on just accepting me as Brady's dad in your life."

"Andy, I don't know what to say," she shook her head. "I had no idea he told you that, offered for you to just go away."

"He wasn't upset with me, honestly, Sharon. Here was a guy who'd just met the father of his grandson. He is still worried about you."

"I just can't believe he'd tell you all that, suggest that, and then to get into feelings of mine he didn't even know. He didn't have a right to guess at my feelings," she told him. "What did you say about his suggesting I love you back then?"

Andy waved her off, "I told you. I told him you were working through things."

"But, you didn't discount it?" she asked. "Andy!"

"Why would I, Sharon?" he exclaimed. "He wasn't far off. Just because you weren't admitting it then, doesn't mean your parents couldn't see it. I love you! I've wanted to tell you that for a long time, but I also didn't want to scare you. Sharon, I love you!"

Andy was so loud now that Brady had turned around to look at his parents. Sharon put one hand over her mouth as if she was surprised to hear it.

"I, I-I love you too," she said much softer than he'd just spoken. She smiled at him, "I'm not exactly thrilled you yelled at me to tell me, but I love you," she shrugged, now almost bashful.

He closed his eyes and sighed, "Yeah, I am sorry. I wasn't planning to tell you through my irritation. Sharon," he moved closer and bent his head to meet her gaze, "I do love you. We can try to not tell your parents, but they already see it. That's what your dad talked to me about today. Look, we didn't have a bad conversation in December, but I wasn't about to tell you that your dad offered me to leave, but told me if I stayed, he could see his daughter was already in love with me, and I'd better be the man to you and father to Brady he expected."

Sharon smiled at Andy, trying to keep in perspective the conversation they were having as well as this man she'd just told she loved, also loved her. "Andy," she said softly, "we both just told each other we love one another."

"We did," he grabbed her fingers, intertwining them with his as he smiled at her. They looked over to Brady who was now crawling around in the grass. "I've got a pretty good deal here," he winked to her, tightening his grip on her hands. "I love you both. Sharon, I'd be lost without you now. You were so stuck on the idea I'd bring some girlfriend around our family," he chuckled. "Honey, I just want you."

She nodded, "In my defense," she started, "my mom put those ideas in my head. She wanted to me to think of a future where you had a girlfriend or a wife, and I had to share Brady with you. Then, I couldn't get the ideas out of my head. I didn't like the thought at all. Finally, I got myself together enough to act on it."

"Oh, you did," he winked as he leaned closer to her. "I'm glad you did because back at Christmas, after your dad basically offered me an out, I told him I was staying. I told him that I couldn't change my past, but I was trying to be a better man. Then, he asked me what I saw for my future, for Brady's future, for even your future. I told him back then that I was going to be honest with him. I told him I loved you, and that while I was irritated with myself that I was telling him before I could even think of telling you. I told him that I knew I loved you, but I was waiting for you to figure things out. I explained to him that I wasn't pressuring you for anything more than to share Brady, as long as it took. He was wondering the same-if I'd bring around some girlfriend, and I told him I just wanted you. That's why I didn't want to discuss Christmas before now. He needed to know where I was coming from, that I had no plans to hurt you, but quite the opposite; I want to be a family with you."

Sharon listened and nodded, both keeping an eye on Brady. He seemed to be enjoying the summer weather and the large backyard.

"Thank you for telling me," Sharon smiled to him. "Thank you for all of it," she started, "for telling me about the conversations with my dad and for telling me you love me now," she smiled brighter. "I do love you. I've been realizing that over the last few weeks, or finally admitting it."

He pulled her to his side and kissed her head, "Your parents know you well. Don't be upset with them for grilling me, for worrying about you. They want the best and know you've had the worst," he chuckled.

Sharon nodded and pulled on his arm, "Come on," she laced their fingers together, and then without any concern, she leaned up and kissed Andy. "Let's get Brady and see about dinner." Andy looked down to their laced hands and rose his eyebrows in question. Sharon shrugged as she offered a playful smile. "If they are so in tune with us, then why hide?"

Andy's smile grew wide as he picked up Brady and joined his fingers with Sharon's again. "So, does this mean-" he started to say.

Sharon burst out laughing, catching on, "No, we are not giving them any further ideas. They can continue to think you're sleeping in your own room, and IF I let you into my room for a second night tonight, you'll be SLEEPING again. It's bad enough they know about our one-year-old indiscretion," she nodded to Brady. "They survived that, but we don't need to give my parents a heart attack."


	44. Chapter 44

They made their way back toward the house, but before they got to the patio area, Sharon's mom and dad came outside with everything for the grill. The two glanced to Sharon, Andy, and Brady.

"Well," her mom, tried to hide her amused expression, "guess your dad and I have our own ways of extracting a confession."

Sharon closed her eyes and sighed. She heard Andy let out a low chuckle himself and felt him squeeze her hand. She opened her eyes and met her parents' gaze looking back at them. Sharon turned to Andy instead, "Do you feel like you are 16 again? 16 and getting the grand inquisition?" she pursed her lips in wonder.

Andy nodded, "To some extent, yes. My back isn't 16. Munchkin doesn't help that," he nodded to the baby and jostled him to get him laughing. "I'm certainly glad we aren't standing here at 16 holding our kid," he grinned.

"Dada!" Brady giggled as Andy played with him. Brady continued to giggle and looked around. He pointed to Sharon's dad at the grill, "Pa!"

"Oh, gosh," Sharon started to laugh. "We've got to work on that. I thought I heard him say that earlier, Pa, and I know he can't say grandpa yet, but that sounds like we live in 1800."

The family all started to laugh, and Brady started laughing too as he usually did when others laughed. Once they calmed down, Andy put Brady down to continue his wandering around the yard.

"So?" her mom asked Sharon and Andy since she hadn't gotten any information from them. "You just walk up here hand in hand and no explanation otherwise?"

"Pretty much," Sharon smiled. She looked to Andy, "Andy?" she asked. He just offered a simple shrug and winked to Sharon. She grinned and leaned up and kissed him, the first time she'd done that in front of anyone in their family. She had intended for a quick kiss, but Andy pulled her tighter, not that it was inappropriate, but it seemed to convey a lot to her family. They broke apart, still looking at each other before Sharon turned back to her parents. "This is not something we'd care to discuss at this point. I would really appreciate it if you don't share this with the kids. We have not included them in this," she gestured to Andy. "You may not understand, but this is new, recent," she clarified, "and we would like to keep our relationship our own for now at least. After the boys go back to school, we plan to figure this out."

Her mom and dad were standing near the grill. Her dad nodded, and then her mom did too. Her dad spoke finally, turning to Andy, "You're lucky we didn't put you on the couch when you arrived, but you've been good to Sharon and Brady. We're still cautious, but we do like you Andy," he nodded. "I'd tell you welcome to the family, but you've already created a family with my family," he gestured to Brady who had been off in his own world. He turned just as everyone was looking at him and smiled. He started to toddle toward the group.

"Mama, Dada, Pa," he squealed. He hadn't started calling Sharon's mom anything, but she didn't seem to mind."

Andy walked over and stuck out his hand to Sharon's dad, "I told you I wasn't going anywhere," he stated. "I still mean that. I love your daughter."

Bill nodded and returned the handshake. Sharon, almost emotional, turned to focus her attention on Brady.

"Ohhh, you are turning one in just a couple of days," she sighed. "I can't believe it." She hoped the change of topic could redirect the relationship focus.

"I just finished his cake," her mom told them. "Would you like to celebrate after dinner tonight, or is it too late?"

Sharon glanced up to Andy, and he gestured for Sharon to decide. "Tonight will be great," she nodded to her mom. "No point in waiting on a good birthday cake. He seems very happy and took a decent nap, so yes, tonight would be just fine."

"Excellent," Sue clapped her hands together. "I wrapped all his presents before you came. We got him a few small things if you don't mind him opening them too."

"Thank you, Mom," Sharon smiled. "Let me help with dinner, so we can get to his party."

Dinner went smoothly, and now that Sharon's parents were aware of Andy and Sharon's relationship, the two were a little more public about their affection, and thus, a little more relaxed. Andy draped his arm across the back of Sharon's chair when they had all finished eating and were talking. He kissed her cheek when he stood to help clear the plates, and when it was finally time for Brady's birthday cake, Sharon and Andy wrapped their arms around each other and stood behind Brady who was seated with his cake. Sue took several of the three of them before Brady covered himself in cake. While they watched the baby eat, Sharon took Andy's hand in hers and smiled, very happy that they were here, together, a year after Brady had been born.

The adults enjoyed cake too while they watched Brady finger through a few bites himself. He was a very happy baby; this evening was no different. Andy undressed him while Sharon started his bath. They had decided he could open his small pile of presents after he was dressed for bed.

"We knew you had to fly home, so we didn't get him anything big," Sue told them when they had returned to the living room. Brady opened a few toys and several outfits, Sharon chuckling at her mom's 'not much' comment when she'd asked Sue what they'd gotten for Brady. After they had opened everything, Brady sat on the floor in front of Sharon and Andy, playing with his new giraffe toy. Bill stood and walked over, handing Andy and Sharon an envelope.

"That's for Brady too," he nodded to them. Andy accepted the envelope, and Sharon nodded at him to open it. "Sharon, it's been a long time," he chuckled, "but we did the same thing for Emily and Ricky when they turned one, except we made sure it went into an account for the kids, something Jack couldn't touch."

"Oh," Sharon sighed as she let out a breath. Andy's eyes grew large too at the check.

"Your mom and I took inflation into account somewhat," he smiled, "as it's been 19 and 22 years since we've had to do this. I assume you two have discussed a college account for him, and I can trust that a simple check this time will make its way into that account?" he asked.

"Ah, yes," Sharon nodded. Her parents had given them a check for $5000 for Brady's college fund. As she thought about it now, they had given Emily and Ricky each a $1000 check, but she did remember her parents sitting down with her to discuss opening an account in the kids' names, one that they didn't want Jack to be able to access it. She'd buried that memory, but now, as she sat her, check in hand, she realized they did trust Andy already, even if they were being cautious about his past. "Mom, Dad, thank you," she smiled. "We do have a college account set for him, and we both contribute to it already. This is very much appreciated."

"Thank you," Andy stood to shake their hands. "I don't have to tell you it's not cheap to put kids through college. As Sharon and I both know, we're putting a combined four of them through school now, well," he nodded to Sharon, "she's graduated one," he smiled. "Nicole graduates in December, which is later than she'd planned, but she ended up switching to a double major. In the long run, will give her a lot more career options, but at least my ex-wife and I have been able to split our costs. Sharon is the amazing one, putting two through school by herself. I won't let that happen again; our son will have the money he needs to attend college and hopefully any graduate school he wishes, even if it's law school," he rolled his eyes, "as much as that pains me." The adults all laughed at Andy's comment, and he continued, "Sharon and I both discussed upping our contributions to his college account when the girls finished, and this is a big help."

"Glad to hear it," Bill nodded. "Just looking at him, he's a sharp one."

Brady was starting to rub his eyes. Sharon scooped him up and peppered him with kisses. He had a small board book in hand, and Andy took it to examine it.

"Ugh, I can't even see it," he sighed. Sharon started to laugh and caught her parents' inquisitive look.

She explained, "Andy had to get reading glasses a few months ago. He's still adjusting to them."

"Another way I definitely don't feel 16 again," he grumbled. Andy stood and gestured for Sharon to hand Brady to him. "I'll put him to bed. I can find my glasses and read him this story. I'll be back down shortly. You can visit with your parents."

Sharon kissed Brady goodnight, as did her parents. Andy jostled Brady again when he started to leave the room. They heard Brady squealing and giggling with Andy.

Sharon sat back down to talk with her parents. Her dad didn't waste any time.

"Is he living with you?" Bill asked.

Sharon didn't hesitate to answer, "No," she smiled. "Our arrangements have not changed. We were serious when we said this is new to us. I know this must look absurd or that we are not being truthful, but we have both had bad marriages, and we don't want to ruin this relationship. We are treading lightly and trying to go slowly, partly for Brady, but partly for both of us too. I love him, Dad," she smiled again. "It's taken me a long time to sort out my feelings, not that Andy did anything to question any feelings I have for him, but I needed to put Jack and all of that baggage in the past."

"Where is Jack, Sharon?" her mom asked. "I am just fine if I don't see him again, but where is he?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure," Sharon sighed. "We haven't seen him in a year. I'm guessing Vegas still."

"You have a little boy up there who needs to come first still, Sharon," her dad said. "I know it's easy to get caught up in romance, but always put him first."

"I will," she nodded. "I appreciate your concern, and it is a lot of the same concern both Andy and I have. We want to put him first which is another reason why we've not been in a rush with our own relationship. We want to put all the boys first this summer, again, which is why I am asking you not tell the kids. This summer, we are trying to navigate our new relationship with the boys home. Yes, we spend a lot of time together, but we don't want to complicate things further with the boys for now. Once they are back at school and we aren't under a constant microscope with them, we will have more time to figure this out."

Andy reappeared, this time with his glasses in hand. He flashed the glasses to Sharon, "I can admit defeat," he chuckled. "I'm admitting you are right and these do help. I can proudly say I was able to finish reading a board book to our one-year-old," he rolled his eyes and sat down next to Sharon.

"Maybe when he's 18, I'll buy you a cane. You'll be much older then, and you might need it to shuffle around," she grinned as she snuggled to his side. She heard him sigh and saw as he shook his head in defeat.

He looked to her parents, "See what she's like?" he rolled his eyes. "Couple years older than she is, and she's hassling me about being old."

"Oh, we know. Sharon has a knack for sarcasm. Is she the same at work?" Bill asked.

"Worse," Andy grumbled. "She's sarcastic AND in charge. I'm sure it will be worse for me when people actually find out we are together."

"They don't know?" Sue asked. "You work in a police station, full of detectives, and they don't know."

"We haven't made our business public, at least not to many. We aren't hiding Brady, but most of the people in the building haven't noticed. I'm sure it will start to get out," Sharon sighed. "I'm not exactly a popular person. Back at Christmas when we went to that ball, Andy was still new enough most didn't know him. He's got more of a reputation now," she smiled.

"I haven't been in any trouble. No way I'm setting foot in the FID office, well, at least not without a drooling kid by my side," Andy explained. "Kid is my secret weapon," he turned to explain to Sue and Bill. "Flash him in front of the FID Captain, and she melts. Works every time," he grinned. Sharon smacked at him.

"On that note, I think I'm going to bed," Bill stood. "I'm worn out. Andy, I trust your room is okay?"

"I appreciate the room," he nodded. "I've heard other guests haven't fared as well in the past."

"We are picky with our guests," Sue smiled. "Why do we take a drive tomorrow? Sharon, you can show Andy all around the area."

"Sounds like a plan," Sharon nodded to all of them and turned toward Andy.

"I'd enjoy that," he smiled. "Night."

They watched Sharon's parents head off to bed. Andy looked to Sharon and said very bluntly, "I want that, Sharon."

She continued to watch the hallway where her parents had just been. She looked to Andy, "I want that too," she leaned over and kissed him. "Why don't we sit on the front porch for awhile. We can talk, maybe more," she shrugged.

Andy's eyebrows rose, "Can we make out?" he teased. Sharon started to laugh, mindful of her parents down the hall.

"That can most definitely be arranged; it's at the top of my list. That can be something for now, while maybe we discuss some things for our future," she smiled as she stood and offered her hand to him.


	45. Chapter 45

"Hey," Andy smiled as he ran into Sharon outside of the day care area, "I called down here to see if Munchkin had a better day today, and they said he was still not sleeping." He moved closer to Sharon and started to rub Brady's back. She had him on her shoulder and was trying to calm him. The baby was obviously worn out, but he hadn't had a nap.

"No," she sighed as she shook her head. "I think he's still having difficulty with the time change. He's been such a good traveler, but now that we are home, he's having trouble adjusting," she said as she cupped the back of Brady's head. Andy continued to run his hand up and down Brady's back. The two were aware they were standing in the middle of the hallway, but quite frankly, they didn't care. They were at work, yes, but it was the end of the day. Besides, as Andy had told Sharon on the plane as they flew back to LA, he didn't care what others thought about his family.

Andy frowned, "Well, I'm done with work for the day. I can take him home."

"I'm done too," Sharon nodded to him. "It doesn't matter to me where he goes tonight either," she said as she kissed the side of Brady's head. "I just want him to get some sleep."

"He's pretty content on you," Andy smiled softly, and then he lowered his voice, "but, I mean, who can blame the guy?" he chuckled. "Tell you what-let's get him down to the car. Nate was off today and told me he was planning to hang around the house. I politely told him he could find his way to the garage and cut the grass too, so he's busy with that. Is Ricky home?"

"He's closing at the gym tonight, which means he'll be late, very late. Their hours changed at the gym, and they are now open until midnight. His shift started at 5:00," she said as she looked to her watch, "so, he just started work."

Andy nodded and offered a small grin, "Well, Captain, then may I suggest we head to the condo? The way I see it, we've got a few hours alone. I'll just late Nate know I'll be home later this evening. He's been eating at strange hours, so I'll even stop and get some Chinese or something for him, and maybe he and I can eat together."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded in agreement. "If Brady here finally sleeps, we'll have time on our hands. I'm not really hungry myself this evening."

"Good," he nodded, "why waste time eating? We can entertain ourselves in other ways." Sharon laughed and the two set out for the elevator together. Now that Brady had changed car seats, they weren't having to drag it inside with them each day. They'd both realized just how much more comfortable Brady was in his new seat; he was getting bigger by the day. They put him in Sharon's car because it was closer, and Andy snuck a quick kiss before he told her he'd follow her to the condo.

As Sharon drove, she had time to think. Brady finally fell asleep in the car, and Sharon hoped he would sleep again once they got him settled at home. She really wanted time with Andy. They'd behaved themselves at her parents' house. It felt good to tell her parents they were together, working on their own lives and blending those lives. The two had talked for awhile both while on their trip and on the plane. Neither had any plans to back away from this relationship. They planned to move forward. How and when that would all happen was still a mystery, but Sharon had to admit that sharing Brady between two homes was getting old, especially when all she wanted to do each night was curl up with Andy.

Her mind drifted back to their trip. It had gone really well. It had amazed her she'd accomplished so much in her time away. Besides driving across the country with Emily, she and Emily had gotten her all started in her apartment. Andy and Brady had surprised her, where Andy had shown he was much more a father figure to Emily than Jack had ever been. He put together a bookshelf for her, and as Sharon chuckled, she let out a long breath, realizing that Jack had never done anything like that. He'd not even helped put together the kids' cribs. He'd been busy, as he told Sharon, and she'd done that alone too. Even by the time the kids needed bikes, dollhouses, and things like that for birthdays and Christmas, Jack had been long gone. Andy was being a dad; he had stepped and helped Sharon's kids many times already, and she realized it was one of the many things she loved about him.

Yes, Sharon was in love with Andy and he with her. They'd told each other that now on a few occasions. They'd been showing each other affection more and more recently too, a blush crept up her neck, as she drove and thought about their time at her parents' home. Things had started to get heated when they'd finally gone to bed, but Brady had awakened them before they'd gotten too carried away. He hadn't slept well that night or the next, which was part of the problem now. He was exhausted, and Sharon and Andy both weren't far behind. Brady hadn't slept on the flight either, but luckily, he hadn't cried either. He'd just stayed awake. Sharon knew he was probably getting close to dropping one of his naps, but they hadn't made the switch yet. It was something she, Andy, and the day care were going to have to discuss soon.

Thinking back to the trip, they had spent all of Sunday with her parents, driving around as they showed Andy the area. He'd really enjoyed it, telling Sharon he was glad to see where she'd grown up. The two made a mental plan to return to visit her parents and Emily sometime soon, but knowing how busy they were, they didn't have any set dates.

Andy jogged up to Sharon's car when they arrived at the condo. He scooped up a sleepy, but awake Brady, and the three made their way upstairs. Neither adult said anything on the way up, trying to get Brady to go back to sleep. After Sharon opened the condo, Andy took Brady straight to his room, where he changed his diaper and put him down, hopeful he'd sleep.

"You think he'll sleep?" Sharon asked, a question to her voice as Andy reappeared. She was in the kitchen working on coffee for both of them.

He shrugged, "He's exhausted, and I closed the blinds. I want to sleep back there," he chuckled. "Room is quiet and dark. Ricky already had the ceiling fan going, so it is nice and cool too."

Sharon nodded as she handed Andy a cup of coffee. He nodded thanks in return. "Would you like any birthday cake?" she asked. Brady's birthday had been the day before. It was now Wednesday, and Brady was still having trouble catching up with his sleep from their travels. They had left very early Monday and flown back to LA, getting in for work. Between that and the small party they'd had the night before with Ricky and Nate to celebrate Brady's birthday at Andy's house, the kid had reason to be exhausted.

"Nah, I'm fine," he waved. "Did Ricky eat more of it today?"

Sharon opened the container and chuckled, "There's still a couple of pieces left, so yes. I'm guessing he had some with his lunch and took some to work. I'm glad the boys could celebrate Brady's birthday with us yesterday."

"Me too," Andy said as he sipped his coffee. "Oh, I almost forgot that I was invited to a barbeque this coming weekend. It will be guys from several divisions, some friends of mine and then friends of friends. I would really like you to go with me. I think it's time," he told her.

Sharon made a face, "Andy, they will hate to see me show up at a police barbeque."

"I don't care, Sharon. You and Brady are part of my family. I'd like you to go with me. Let them talk. I'm a big boy, and besides, I've told you they only wish they had snagged you themselves," he winked.

She grimaced again before she started laughing at the sight of his sad face. "Fine, I'll go with you. We can tell your work. You are right; it's time."

He moved closer and put his hands on her hips, a playful look on his face, "They'll love you once they get to know you. I love you," he whispered as he kissed her neck. She laughed as he continued.

"They certainly don't love me when they get in trouble," Sharon sighed. "I guess it's just the job."

"Give them time," he said as he continued to kiss her. "Besides, we'll just flash Brady at all of them. Kid makes everyone melt. He's a keeper. Of course, why wouldn't he be? He's so handsome, just like his dad," Andy smirked. Sharon smacked at him before he corrected it, "Nah, he's got a drop-dead gorgeous mom. That's where he gets his looks."

Sharon continued to chuckle as Andy kept talking to her while he kissed her. "So, your plan is to get your friends to like me through our son?"

"Yup," he grinned as he kissed her again. "I'll use him as much as I need to get them to like you. Just wait until I marry you. Then, if needed, I'll let Brady do the talking to tell everyone."

Sharon froze and pulled back, "You want to marry me?" she said, a shocked look on her face. Andy paused his movements. He'd gotten caught up in kissing Sharon, which wasn't hard, that he'd relaxed and just let that slip.

"Yes," he said firmly, deciding he wasn't going to hide. "I'm not asking this minute, but yes, Sharon, that is my end goal. I love you, and I want to marry you."

She shook her head, but she didn't say anything. Andy sighed, realizing he might be scaring her. He moved his hands to her hips again, trying to reassure her. Instead of another serious comment, he said, "Besides, I figure since I put a baby in there," he gestured to her stomach, "I'd better marry you both now."

"Ugh," Sharon grimaced and groaned at that. She pulled away from Andy and started to laugh; Andy realized that his statement had worked. "Andy, that's terrible," she scolded him. "So tacky."

"Well, I won't tell it to Brady like that," he winked and mimicked the conversation, "So, son, I knocked up your mom, disappeared because we barely knew each other, reappeared after you were born-so stellar of a dad I was, took another year to get her to even realize I'm not a dirt bag, and then I tried to marry her."

She eyed him and frowned, "Andy, that is exactly why you shouldn't marry me. I don't want to marry you because you feel some obligation to Brady and myself."

Andy's eyes grew in surprise, "Is that what you think? Sharon, that's not the case at all. I love you!" he exclaimed. "I thought we were building a life here. Yes, marriage is on the table. I want to someday marry you, and honestly, I'd like it to be soon because I hate leaving you and Brady here and going to my house. It kills me each time. Sharon, you are not some charity case," he sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.

Sharon moved closer and stilled his hand. "Hey," she said quietly, trying to get him to look at her. "Andy, please," she asked again, and when he turned to her, she could see the hurt in his eyes.

"I just needed to hear that, to make sure. I love you too, and I just didn't want to be a charity case, as you said. I don't want you to wake up five years from now and regret our life together, a life you feel like you forced because we have a son."

"That's not the case," Andy shook his head. "Sharon, I'm not messing around here. You're not just some good time," he added. He added a small grin, "Well, when we are together, we have a very good time, but that's beside the point. I want you. I want Brady, and I want us to be a family, a complete family-five kid, wedding mess, and all. I will back off if you feel it's rushed, but that's what I want, bottom line. I hadn't planned to discuss it today, like this, but that's what I want." Sharon looked away for a moment. Andy wasn't sure what she'd say next, so he continued, "Sharon, after we told your parents we were together, do you remember that your dad and I went to the store the next evening to get more milk?"

She turned back, "Yes," she nodded.

"Your dad asked me if I planned to marry you. He asked me. You know he's been straight with me, as I've tried to be with him. I told him I'd marry you in a second, and he told me not to waste time. Your dad said that. He knows our jobs are crazy. He told me that, and he told me that he hadn't seen you happier on a visit home for as long as he could remember. Your dad gave us his blessing, not that I asked for it, but he told me he was glad to hear I wanted to marry you, wanted to do right by our family. Sharon, I love you. I don't know when I had planned for all of this to come out, but here we are. Bottom line, I want to marry you. I hate leaving you each evening, and I hate not being able to shout to the world that I'm madly in love with you. I know we' have the boys home for the summer, and yes, I agree, we need to get through the summer, but Sweetheart, I can't stand the thought of this going back and forth much longer."

Sharon looked away, and Andy could tell she was wiping the tears from her eyes. He sighed and shook his head. This had turned into a mess. He was about to speak, but she looked at him with a huge smile and glistening eyes.

"That may have been the worst marriage proposal I've ever heard," she tried to laugh as she cried. Andy sighed as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "We can talk about this another time."

"No!' she exclaimed. "You can't tell me all that and then take it back," she said between sobs. Andy eyed her, trying to figure out what she was saying. "Yes!" she exclaimed once she caught her breath. "Yes, you idiot, I will marry you."

Andy's expression turned from question to shock, as Sharon wiped her face again. She continued, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you an idiot."

Andy just shook his head, "I'm so confused. We originally started this conversation by talking about Brady's birthday cake. Now, you're crying, I'm an idiot, and we've gotten engaged without our kids knowing we're even together, not to mention no real proposal or ring?"

Sharon let out a laugh, as she wiped her eyes again, taking a step closer to Andy, "We haven't exactly played by the rules through any of this." She now had her arms loosely wrapped around Andy's waist and looked up at him. "If you are taking back your desire to marry me, I will send you packing. I'm not getting any younger. Brady and I are a package deal, not to mention Ricky and Emily. You want me, you get all of us," she smiled as she teased him. Also, I need to clarify that I will not have any more of your children. If you want to marry me, it's with three kids in tow, no more. I'm old."

He nodded, visibly relaxed, "When you put it that way," he shrugged, "it's a pretty good offer. I'm pretty well set in the kid department. I've got three I adore already, and I'm willing to consider adding two more to the mix, adult children only," he smirked. "I'm old too, and while I adore my youngest, I'm not doing that again."

Sharon continued to smile at him, "So?"

"So," he said, pulling her closer as he smiled, "I guess I'd better find room in my budget for a ring. You gave me a son, so I'll give you a ring," he winked in jest.

Sharon smacked at him, "That's a little backwards, Lieutenant Flynn," she nodded, "but, lucky for you, I'll still accept."

"Good," he smiled as he pecked her lips. "You should have that ring by the weekend," he winked to her as he stepped back and grabbed his cup of coffee. Sharon stepped back, a strange look on her face.

"I thought you just said you needed to make room in your budget for a ring?" she asked.

"I did," he grinned. "Wedding rings. You know how we alternate Brady's day care bill? Well, I've been pulling that same amount each time, putting what I don't pay for day care into my 'Sharon' fund, plus some," he winked. "It's fully funded now; I've been looking. Call me old-fashioned, but I've been wanting this since I first saw you holding our son in the garden at Stanford," he smiled. "Now, I just need to budget for wedding rings."

Sharon shook her head, "It's a good thing I love you because this is about as odd of a conversation as one could have. Andy, do you realize in the last year we've had a baby, reconnected when he was two months old, and spent the last 10 months getting to know each other. Are we crazy?"

"Yup," Andy nodded, "but, no one else will want us," he smiled. "You're stuck with me, Sharon. Once I put a ring on your finger," he smile again and shrugged.

Sharon picked up where he had dropped the conversation, "We will have to tell the kids," she sighed. "Andy, that doesn't really go along with our 'get through the summer' plan."

"Okay," he nodded, "then let's sit down and figure all of this out, how we navigate the next few months."


	46. Chapter 46

"Hello, we're here," Sharon called out as she pushed opened Andy's door and walked in, hands full with Brady in one arm and food in the other. She looked up when she heard him moving quickly across the house.

"Here, I've got him," Andy reached her and moved to help with Brady. The baby smiled when he saw Andy.

"Dada!" he started to laugh. He kicked at Sharon to go to Andy. She was careful not to drop him, and once Andy had him, she readjusted the food she was carrying. Once she was sure she wasn't going to drop anything, she looked up to properly greet Andy.

"Hi, Handsome," she grinned and both leaned into each other to kiss. Brady was still in Andy's arm, so he was careful not to jostle him too much.

"Hey, Gorgeous," he grinned as he kissed her again. "Come on; let's get all of that out of your hands," he gestured toward the kitchen. He followed her, holding Brady as she walked through the house. "How's my fiancée?" he smiled to her. She turned now that she'd put the food on the counter.

"I'm great now," she walked back over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I missed seeing you at work today." Sharon had been home all day with Brady, making food for the family dinner they were going to have at Andy's house. It was now Friday, and they were going to tell the boys about their plans to get married. They really would have preferred to have all four of their adult children together to speak to them at the same time, but with the kids scattered from one coast to another, they realized that wasn't realistic. Instead, they were gathering three of the five kids for dinner, all the boys. Brady wouldn't understand anything yet at the ripe old age of one, but still, he was the key linking the two families. Both Ricky and Nate were at their summer jobs and the family was planning to have dinner closer to 8:00 when the boys finished their shifts. By then, Brady would be heading to bed, but it would still put the majority of their family under the same roof for the evening.

"Well, the feeling was mutual; I missed you too. I didn't have anyone to visit in the day care during lunch, and when I walked by your parking space in the parking garage, I got into an argument," he explained.

Sharon moved back from Andy to look up at him, "Okay, I'm confused. How did you get into an argument as you walked by my parking space?"

"Provenza was involved," he sighed. He shook his head, but then he snapped it back up to look at her when he heard her start to laugh. "Hey, it's not funny."

"Oh, but it is," she chuckled as she patted his arm. She looked to Brady who was happily looking around while in Andy's arms. "Brady, Daddy is funny," she said as she made a face at him. He started to laugh at her face and he turned to Andy.

"Dada, Mama," he grinned happily. Sharon continued to chuckle as she gestured for Andy to continue.

"You were saying?" she laughed.

He sighed again, "Provenza and I were coming back in from getting a witness statement. We walked by your parking space, and Provenza asked where you were. I told him you were off today because you'd gotten stuck with working Sunday. He then told me I should park in your spot today since you weren't using it. It turned into an argument," he grumbled.

Sharon burst out laughing as she shook her own head, "You and Provenza really argued about parking your car in my spot?"

"Yeah," Andy shrugged. "He said if I was going to take heat from everyone for marrying you, I should at least try to take advantage of any benefits when I could, one being, at least according to him, parking in your spot when you aren't there." Andy took a moment to recount the argument with Provenza.

 _"Where's your Baby Mama today, Flynn?" Provenza asked as they walked by Sharon's parking spot on their way to the elevator. The two had taken a witness statement and because Provenza was hungry, had stopped by a doughnut shop on the way back to work. Provenza was currently eating his second sugar doughnut, the remnants of both doughnuts on his shirt._

 _"Would you have some respect, Provenza, please?" Andy said now irritated. "Don't call her that. I told you we're getting married. She's going to be my wife, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about her like that."_

 _"Well, that's what she is. You were dumb enough to get her pregnant. Now, you're old with a one-year-old, granted the kid is cute. Don't tell her I said that," he pointed to Andy and looked serious. "So, where is she?"_

 _"She's off today. She and Brady are at home. She's making some food for tonight's dinner. We're going to talk to the boys. We're going to try to get the girls to Skype in too, but we'll see if that happens," he explained. "She's working Sunday this week, which isn't her normal schedule, but it just happened this week."_

 _"You idiot! If she's not here, and you know that, why in the world did we park as far away as we did? I swear by the time we get to the elevator, we'll have walked at least a half mile! We could have parked in her spot. She's your mess, so you'd better use some of the benefits when you can."_

 _"My mess? Provenza what are you talking about? By the way, we didn't walk a half mile. The parking garage isn't even that wide. We barely walked 200 feet," Andy explained._

 _"She's your mess-you've got to explain to the rest of the LAPD how in the world you fell for that. No one will let you live it down. In fact, even as your partner, I'm going to be in the line of fire. It's my reputation on the line too. People will judge me based on the wife you've chosen. It just had to be the head of FID," he sighed as he shook his head. The two had arrived at the elevator, and Andy turned to Provenza, clearly irritated._

 _"Are you done? Let's not even talk about the number of wives you have had. People had better just shut up and stay out of my life. It's just that my life. My life with Sharon and my family. It's no one's business, but our own. Her job is just that, a job, and I'll be glad to square away any cop who wants to go after my family," Andy ranted._

 _"Oh, that would go well, you assaulting another officer. Guess where that would land you? It's put you square in your wife's office, trying to explain assault. Good luck with that. Look, I'm all for you putting your family together, but really? It just had to be her? We needed to have had this conversation before you went all wild and free on spring break. You realize parents aren't the ones who are supposed to go crazy on spring break, don't you? You also realize that you'll never be able to lecture any of your children about appropriate spring break behavior," he chuckled. "Oh, you're a whole new level of idiot, Flynn."_

 _Andy turned to snap at Provenza, but the elevator door opened, and he decided to contain his anger now that they were back at work. He'd promised Sharon he would behave, and he was going to do just that. Provenza had been right about one thing, not that Andy would admit it, but the last place Andy wanted to find himself was on the opposite side of his wife's desk for being, as Provenza described, an idiot._

Andy told Sharon about the argument with Provenza, and she continued to laugh. He loved hearing her laugh almost as much as anything.

Sharon shook her head and walked back to Andy's kitchen counter. "Oh, Andy, you and Provenza are a mess. Honestly, only you two could argue about something so idiotic."

"Don't remind me," Andy sighed. Brady started to kick at Andy, so he put him down to let him walk around. The baby was still a bit unstable on his feet, but his walking was improving daily. He also did well in areas of the house where there was hardwood or tile because it gave him a solid surface to walk. Andy's house had carpet in the bedrooms, but otherwise, he had hardwood and tile. Brady walked around Andy's kitchen and then stopped, looking up to both his parents with his big brown eyes. He smiled again and gestured with his hand. He wasn't saying the word yet, but when he made the gesture, it meant he was hungry and wanted a snack. Andy moved across the kitchen and opened the packet of crackers Brady liked. He handed him one, and Brady continued to explore the area around his parents.

"Have you had time to marinate the steaks?" Sharon asked after she had unpacked the food. She smiled at Brady as he walked up to her, patted her leg, and continued in his exploration.

"Yeah, I put them in the refrigerator just before you got here. They'll be all set when the boys get home," he said.

Sharon nodded, "Good. I made up a potato casserole that needs about an hour to cook. I also have a salad, fruit salad, and I made a chocolate cake."

"Ohh," Andy moved closer. He put his hands on her hips and leaned over her shoulder to see the food. "Chocolate cake, huh?"

"Yes," Sharon patted Andy's hands on her hips. "It's Ricky's favorite. I hope Nate likes chocolate cake too."

"He does," Andy told her. "There's not much he doesn't like, but hopefully if we stuff them full of their favorite red meat and a homemade dessert, they'll take our wedding news easily."

Sharon laughed as she turned in Andy's arms. "Hmm, I love you," she said as she leaned up and pecked him on the lips.

"I love you too," he smiled and kissed her deeper this time. Both kept an eye on Brady as they kissed, and they broke apart when he moved into the living room area. The two followed him to keep an eye on his movements.

"Have a seat, Sweetheart," he gestured to the couch. "I'll be right back." Sharon nodded and went to sit as Brady continued his exploration. Both Sharon and Andy had started to childproof their homes, as Brady was starting to get into everything. The boys were learning the hard way, as they'd both left things out Brady had either torn, broken, or spilled. It was definitely a learning process for all the adults to get used to a toddler again.

Andy reappeared with a huge smile and sat down next to Sharon. She eyed him, knowing his look meant he was up to something.

"Yes?" she smiled and asked him.

Andy didn't miss a beat and instantly dropped to one knee next to Sharon, "I didn't get to do this properly the other night," he started to explain. Sharon covered her mouth at the sight of the diamond Andy had now produced. He'd somehow managed to take her by surprise with their engagement again, even though they'd officially agreed they were engaged Wednesday evening. "Sharon, I love you with everything I have. I realize we discussed this the other night, and somehow in the middle of you calling me an idiot, we got engaged," he grinned. Sharon groaned when he mentioned that she'd called him that. "I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. I adore you and the son you have given me. I'll love Emily and Ricky like they are my own. Would you do me the honor of marrying me? This time, if you say yes," he grinned, "you can have this ring. I came prepared."

"Yes," she said in a rushed whisper. "I love you too and will marry you." Sharon smiled at Andy. The two leaned in and kissed again. When they separated, Andy looked to the ring box and gestured to Sharon.

"May I?" he asked. "I guess before I ask if I can put it on your hand, I should ask if you like it?"

"I love it," she grinned. Brady seemed to realize something was happening because he walked to his parents. Sharon pulled him up on her lap, and she held out her hand for Andy. "It's beautiful. I love the emerald cut you picked."

"As I said," he told her as he pulled the ring out of the box, "I have been looking for quite some time. I finally decided on this one. I hope you know this wasn't some rushed decision to just get you a ring. Yes, I got it yesterday after I went to my meeting, but I really have been looking."

She nodded, "I don't doubt that. You've proven repeatedly you will do anything for me. I have no doubt you've been looking for just the right ring."

He nodded, "I was torn between this one and a round cut diamond. When we were talking the other night, and you mentioned Jack had given you a round cut diamond, well," he shrugged.

"A fresh start," she said, as she gripped his hand in hers. He nodded and kissed her hand.

"Looks great on you. I'm excited to tell the boys. Do you think they'll notice the ring before we tell them?" Andy asked.

"I'm not sure," Sharon pursed her lips in thought. "It's so beautiful and is sparkling; they just might."

"So, we are really going to just drop all this on them?" he grinned. "I hope they can handle it."

Sharon smiled as she put Brady down again. He was more interested in walking around than he was learning about his parents' upcoming wedding. "I can't wait to tell them. Yes, they will call us crazy, but I don't see another way to marry you anytime soon unless we go with this plan."

The plan was crazy, absurd really. Wednesday evening after Sharon had blurted out that yes, she'd marry her idiot, the two sat down and with all practicality, they looked at their calendars. With four adult children, three of whom were in college and one who was working across the country, they knew finding a date for a wedding would be difficult. They hadn't imagined it would be next to impossible. They'd discussed waiting until the next summer, when the boys would be at least home again, but they didn't want to wait that long. To go with that, they had no guarantee both boys would come home next summer. One or both could easily stay at school. It had happened with the girls, and Sharon and Andy knew it was part of growing up and becoming adults. The kids were starting their own lives. With next summer being too far away, they considered spring break time, but that also proved to be challenging. Spring break was in March, and Emily's ballet company was starting their spring show that same weekend. They knew she would never be able to get away. They'd backed up to Christmas, and both girls' schedules were an issue. Nicole was going to graduate from college, something they wanted to celebrate and put the focus on just her. In addition, Emily would be in the middle of her holiday performance schedule and wouldn't be able to get away for a cross-country wedding. Work hadn't even been discussed, but with the girls' schedules being such an issue, work didn't have to even factor into it. Christmas was out, which was just fine with work. Murders always picked up at Christmas, and Sharon's schedule always got crazy then too. So, the only logical solution was this summer, which was really a completely illogical solution. This summer was now, and it was almost over. They only had another month and a half until the boys went back to school. They were going to propose to the boys tonight that Sharon and Andy get married the first weekend in August before the boys went to school. It would also accommodate Nicole's schedule; she wouldn't be into the fall semester either. Sharon had looked at the practice schedule Emily had sent her, and because she was so new, Emily's schedule was still somewhat light through most of August. She had a lot of daily training sessions, but her weekends were free, at least until the beginning of September. That only left Sharon's parents, the only other ones, well, aside from some work colleagues, they needed to consider. While they hadn't told any of the kids yet, Sharon and Andy had called Sharon's parents late Wednesday evening, which made it even later the East Coast, to tell her parents their good news. They explained their scheduling issues, and her parents promised they would make the trip whenever it was.

"I just want the boys to understand that I'd marry you tomorrow if you'd let me, but I want to give you a nice family wedding," he smiled. "I owe you that at least," Andy told her.

"Andy, you don't owe me anything," Sharon shook her head.

"Oh, I do. I still hate I missed helping you when you were pregnant with our son. I hate you had to spend months explaining our carefree moments without me there with you. This wedding, Sharon, it's for you, for us, to show everyone we love each other and the family we have created together," he said as he ran his hand over hers.

"You do realize you can get up off your knee," she gestured to Andy. He was still down on one knee. He smiled and stood. He winked at Sharon as he sat down next to her on the couch and pulled her back to sit with him. Brady, now seeing his parents relaxing on the couch, moved toward them with a big smile on his face.

"You think Ricky will be okay with the moving plans?" Andy asked. Of course, after they'd decided to get married this summer, the topic of where they would live came up. The only logical solution was to move into Andy's house. It was bigger, and it had a backyard for Brady. While it was further from work, both loved the home, and it would have more room for the kids. Ideally, they would love a much bigger home, but for at least the time being, Andy's home would accommodate their needs. Brady already had a bedroom, and for now, they could replace the queen size bed in the bedroom Nate was using with two twin beds. It wasn't ideal, and normally, most people with adult children would be taking out twin beds to put in larger queen beds, but the two twin beds in the third bedroom would work if both boys were home. While Nate could stay with either his mom or dad, he'd spent most of the summer with Andy while his mom's house was under renovation. The two had grown closer, and Andy believed Nate might just stay with them most of the time in the future when he was home from school.

"Ricky will be fine," Sharon told Andy. "Look, he's been thrown a lot in the last couple years. He's gone from being my youngest to being quite in the middle of now a pack of kids," she smiled. "He and Nate have become good friends. Both are already used to tight spaces in their dorm rooms, so if they share when they are home here, it won't be much different. As Brady gets bigger and the boys move out, we can continue to shift furniture around in the bedrooms. And, when Emily or Nicole stay here, which we know is unlikely to have all home at the same time, we can keep shifting. I know Ricky would give up his room for his sister, and by then, we might be able to do something in Brady's room. It's not perfect, but it doesn't need to be perfect. Love and family aren't perfect. Both are messy and complicated. This will work."

Andy nodded, "Okay, I just know your kids, in particular, have had a lot of change. I know you love that condo."

"I love you more," Sharon whispered as she leaned in toward Andy and kissed him. He squeezed her arm, and the two turned their attention to Brady who had decided to sit and play with his toys.

"Well, it won't be so bad this summer anyway. It's not like we are moving things around this summer while they are home. With us getting married right before they go back to school, we will have all this fall semester to get things ironed out here. They won't even share a room until they are home later for the holidays."

Sharon nodded in agreement, "We can put the condo on the market after we get the boys back to school. There's no reason to throw that into the mess right now."

"Yeah, especially knowing you want to buy a car in the next week or so. You told me last summer was busy," he grinned.

"Who would have thought having a baby and getting two off to college in a summer would sound easy compared to this summer?" she laughed.

"Okay, so boys will be home in an hour or so. We'll tell them, and we'll try to call the girls at the same time. We'll plan for an August wedding, this August," he smiled as he clarified. "We'll buy you a new car in the next couple weeks all while planning this simple wedding," he chuckled. "We'll get married and con some of the kids into watching Munchkin so I can steal you away for a few days of a honeymoon before we pack up two of our grown sons and get them back to school. Oh, and in all that, Nicole will start her last semester of college, and Emily will start her holiday rehearsal schedule. Work for both of us factors in there somewhere. Does that about cover it?" he chuckled.

Sharon waved him off, "Piece of cake. Next summer will look boring," she grinned.


	47. Chapter 47

"Well, that wasn't the scene I was expecting to walk in on when I got off work," they heard and both heads turned toward the voice. Nate was home and had come in through the back door. Sharon was standing at the kitchen counter, knife in hand as she chopped vegetables. Andy was turned sideways leaning against the counter next to her with his hand on her back. Nate had picked the one moment Sharon had leaned toward Andy to give him a quick kiss to announce his arrival at home. Andy continued to lean against the counter, but he glanced toward Sharon who was still looking at Nate.

"Nat!" they all heard and turned to watch Brady toddle toward his older brother. He, too, had been in the kitchen, close to his parents where he was dragging around his favorite blanket and snagging small bites of a banana from Andy for his afternoon snack.

"Hey, Dude," Nate bent down to catch the toddling baby who was quickly moving toward him. He opened his arms to him, while still watching Andy and Sharon. When he got hold of Brady, he swooped him up, causing Brady to giggle and spoke to Brady as if he was expecting answers, "Brady, man, brothers don't keep secrets. Tell me, what's going on with your mom and dad?"

Brady continued to giggle, while Nate raised his eyebrows and looked toward his dad. Sharon, by this point, had put down her knife and turned toward Nate as well. Nate stared at Andy until he answered.

"We've finally figured out we love each other, and we can't live without each other," Andy smiled toward Nate. He turned toward Sharon and continued, "Nate, I've screwed up my whole life, and I'm sorry about that, but this lovely lady here still wants me in her life. I know it's too late to correct things with you and your sister, but I'm not going to continue to screw up my own life, another one of my kids' lives, so this," he gestured between Sharon and himself as he continued to look at Sharon, "has been developing, and we've decided to go ahead and get married."

Nate's eyes grew bigger, and he looked between the two. "Wow, I can't say I'm surprised, but none of us though it would happen like this"

"Wait, what?" Sharon pointed her finger toward Nate who was juggling Brady to make him giggle. Brady loved his brothers and spent a good amount of time with both. "You said none of you though it would happen like this?"

"Yeah," Nate nodded. "I mean, come on," he gestured to the two of them, "the four of us talk, and we've kind of figured you two would end up together. We just didn't know when."

"You have all been talking and thought this would happen?" Andy asked, visibly surprised as he looked to Sharon.

"Umm, hello, you two are almost inseparable. None of us saw this going anywhere but you two getting married someday. You both love Brady too much, and we've noticed you seem to have gotten a lot closer. Ricky and I even noticed, which is saying a lot for a couple of guys. We're not blind," he told them.

Andy and Sharon turned to each other. Andy started to laugh, and Sharon tried to keep a straight face, but she started to chuckle too. She covered her mouth and started to shake her head. "I guess we aren't very subtle."

"No," Nate grinned, even knowing the comment was directed toward Andy. "You're not subtle, but that's okay, and Dad," he turned to Andy, "it's not too late to correct things with Nicole or me. I think we've had a good summer. It kind of worked out that Mom's house has been a mess all summer."

Andy smiled toward Nate, "Yeah, it did work out, and I've had a great summer with you, Nate. I just want you to know I'm trying, and I'm trying hard to make things up to you and your sister. I know I messed up. I really thought I'd made an even bigger mess of things with Brady, but," he reached for Sharon's hand, "it's all working out. For once, I'm getting my life back on track."

They were interrupted by the knock at the door and then the door opening. "Mom?" they heard as Ricky called out.

"Kitchen," Sharon yelled to Ricky, and very quickly he appeared.

"Hey, what's going on?" he looked around at everyone.

"They're getting married," Nate hooked his free hand toward Andy and Sharon. "Guess they finally decided to come clean with us. I told them that while we're guys, we're not blind."

Ricky rolled his head toward Sharon and Andy. "Mom?" he asked, almost wanting to make her say it for herself.

"Ricky," she shrugged, as she sighed. She threw a quick glance to Andy, and then she smiled when she turned back to Ricky, "I love him. Obviously, we went about this all the wrong way, but we love each other, and we love your little brother. Well, we love all of you," she huffed out a chuckle and looked to Ricky for approval.

"I'd say I'm surprised, but we thought you would get married eventually. Mom, you've never been one to jump into anything, so when is the wedding? Next year?" Ricky asked. "Come on, Mom, you can't think Em and I didn't see this coming. You invited him on vacation, and then he turned around and surprised you by paying for our tickets. That's a guy who cares, even if you didn't want to see it."

"I've been made aware," Sharon nodded as she smiled at Ricky.

"Oh, first part of August," Andy smiled. "We don't want to wait. We could drag this all out, but we're old enough to realize what we want. It's maybe different in your 20's, making sure it's the right person and all, but we've got Brady, and we've got all of you too. This is right; we're ready to get married. We can spend the school year getting everything moved and sold. Hopefully, it won't be too bad, but with schedules and all, it was just what we wanted to do."

Ricky nodded as he glanced to Nate, "So, you've just been sneaking around, hmm?"

"Can they just not answer that?" Nate flashed a disgusted look to Ricky. Brady finally noticed Ricky had arrived and kicked at Nate to be put down. He toddled over to Ricky, grinning at him.

"Riri," he said as he smiled happily. Brady was still working out names, but at least he recognized his family and was attempting to get their names straight. Ricky ruffled his head and picked him up too.

"Everything sold?" Ricky asked once he picked up Brady. "What's being sold?"

"Well, for starters, we are replacing my car, hopefully next week, and before you say anything," Sharon pointed a finger to Ricky, "yes, that means your car. We'll trade in your car, and you can have mine. Mine is newer, and it's just too small for what we need. Now that you can take it to school, we can upgrade cars. So, that will be done next week."

The boys nodded, and Andy continued before more could be said, "We won't need two homes with us getting married. Yes, the condo is amazing with its views, but it's just too small. Ricky, I'm sure you would agree. While this house isn't a mansion," Andy gestured to the place and rolled his eyes, "it's big enough. Brady already has a room; we can swap out some of the furniture with things from Sharon's place, and then the third bedroom is the issue right now," he told the boys. "While the queen bed is more appropriate for grown kids, we were thinking of for now, putting two twin beds in there. That way, when you two are home, you have a place with us, always. I know it's not ideal, but you are doing that with roommates now. As Brady grows out of the crib, we can reshuffle things and eventually, we can put a queen bed back in there and put twin beds in his room. I know it's not perfect, and we're not factoring in your sisters, but Nicole usually stays with her mom, and Emily won't be here much. When she is, we'll adjust."

"So, when I leave the condo to head back to school," Ricky asked and left the rest hanging.

Sharon nodded, "That will the last time at the condo. I hope that is okay, Ricky. I know we've had it a few years, but I hope you understand. What furniture we don't use, Andy and I have already discussed putting into storage so that when either of you get your own apartment, you can take anything you need or like from what we don't need here at the house."

"Okay," Ricky shrugged as he looked at the couple. He looked to Brady, "You're getting your mom and dad together, little guy," he ruffled his hair. Brady started to giggle, and Ricky continued, "Don't know what that's like myself, but lucky for you, after all this, you get a good deal out of this." He turned back to Sharon, "I'm cool with you upgrading my car. That will be nice to have at school. You two," he gestured to Sharon and Andy, "you're happy together. I thought it would happen eventually, but I must say, I'm glad it's now. I think your back and forth with Brady sounded crazy anyways."

"I'm cool too," Nate added. "The room here," he gestured to the bedrooms, "that's fine. Ricky and I already know each other. I've enjoyed staying here this summer, Dad, as I said. It will be fine in the future. Congratulations," he smiled to them.

"Thank you," Sharon smiled and then looked to Andy. The two clasped hands and nodded to each other. "That's really why we wanted to have dinner tonight. We wanted to tell you about all our plans. Your grandparents know. We told them already, but your sisters do not know."

Ricky raised his eyebrows at Sharon, "Oh, they've been talking. They may not know officially," he gestured to them, "but, they figured Brady was too irresistible to not make this little family a permanent deal."

Andy started to chuckle, "Little family?"

"Five kids," Sharon added. "With everyone, there are five children. That's not little," she sighed.

"Yeah, but Brady holds everyone together. He's kind of the point," Nate added.

"Actually," Sharon smiled, "you boys are really the instigators in all this. Without you two going off to school, we never would have met. None of this would have ever happened. I'd say you boys have a lot to do with this arrangement."

"Yes, but we didn't ask for this," Ricky gestured to Brady and grinned.

"True," Andy nodded, "but, life is full of surprises."


	48. Chapter 48

"Are you okay with the color?" Andy asked as he walked up to Sharon. She was standing at the window looking out at what was about to be her new car.

"Yes," she smiled as she turned to him. "I love the color. The silver really makes it sparkle," she added.

Andy chuckled, "Yeah, that's the first thing I ask myself when I look at a car-does the color make it sparkle?"

Sharon swatted at his arm; she'd asked him to come along with her to buy her new car, not that she couldn't handle it alone, but she wanted his opinion and support. They were a team, and she wanted to act like one, and to her, that meant taking Andy along to help with the car buying situation. Brady was at home with Ricky; Nate was at work. Sharon and Andy had been at the dealership for almost two hours, and they were just waiting for the final paperwork. The two had picked out a large SUV, big enough to hold their family and big enough to make college trips to and from Stanford. It would help, now, that both boys were able to take a car to school. Each had their own car, which was also good. Both were going to be starting internships and various other programs within their majors where a car wasn't required, but helpful to get around places. This next trip back to school was shaping up to look like a moving caravan; Ricky was going to drive his new car, which had been Sharon's car; Nate was going to drive his car to school, and then they would follow with Brady in the SUV. Comical, yes, but with two kids in college at the same school, almost unavoidable.

That trip to Stanford was coming up quickly. It was now the end of June. The barbecue where Andy had planned to introduce Sharon, the despised head of FID, as his future wife, had been cancelled. Andy had ended up getting called into work that next day after they had told all the kids. They'd told the boys at dinner, and after dinner, they had called both girls. Andy's team had caught a case because "everybody decided to murder someone today," as Andy had said. The department had been overrun, and while his division had plans for a barbecue, they had to put everything on hold. After working through that case, his division had been promised a day off for the 4th of July, which was coming up now in less than a week. Andy was very excited now to bring Sharon and Brady with him; he'd put to rest any lingering thoughts of people's opinions of his family. Because work had been so crazy, Sharon hadn't had a moment to buy her new car, but here they were, just waiting for the paperwork and keys.

"You're all set," they heard and both turned around. "Everything is good to go," the salesman told them. He smiled. "I'm sure you'll get good use out of that new SUV."

"You have no idea," Andy chuckled. "We've got two sons heading back to Stanford in just over a month, and then as we already mentioned, we've got one on the opposite end, still in a car seat," he continued to chuckle as he smiled to Sharon.

She picked up on the banter, "Don't forget two daughters, both grown, but still," she shrugged, "when home, a large group."

"Then, you made the right choice with this seven-seater. I'll walk you out," he nodded to them.

The two spent the next couple of days, between work and taking care of Brady, getting Sharon's new car all set up for their family. They moved things, including the car seat, from her old car to her new one, and then, she got it all cleaned out and detailed for Ricky to take over. They had taken his old car to trade in when she'd bought her new one, and by the weekend, they had settled in with their new vehicles.

Sharon and Andy were trying to be respectful of having their adult sons home for the summer, and they were trying to not stay at each other's homes just yet. Yes, they had told the kids they were getting married, but still, it was awkward. The condo was just too small, and Andy's house wasn't quite set up yet for Sharon to move in. She felt a bit odd staying there and leaving Ricky at home, even though she knew he could take care of himself. So, they really hadn't spent the night at each other's place. Sure, they'd stayed late at one another's home and tried to find some alone time, but life right now was too busy to add anything more. They had work, a toddler, two grown sons at home, and then when they had free time, they were trying to plan their wedding. Andy was finally going to spend a few days with Sharon, though, at the condo. Emily had invited Ricky to come and visit her, and with the recent additions to the family, she'd extended the invitation to Nate as well. Both boys had talked about the trip, and both decided to jump on it if they could get time off work. They had each re-worked their schedules, promising to work the holiday weekend, and because of that, they'd managed to get a few days off. The boys were going to take a red-eye on Sunday evening, just after the 4th of July weekend, and they were going to return on Friday morning. Sharon and Andy had talked about which house to stay in while the boys were gone and opted for the condo because it was closer to work, and Sharon had a lot of packing to do to start getting her things moved.

Before all of this, Andy and Sharon had to get through the work barbecue. The rest of the work week passed quickly, and soon, it was the 4th of July. Andy had told Sharon he'd come by her condo to pick up both she and Brady. The boys were at work and wouldn't be home until late in the evening. The party was closer to Sharon's condo, so it made sense for Andy to come and get Sharon. Plus, he'd gotten a huge stack of boxes from a local grocery store, and this gave him an excuse to drop them off with her.

While Andy was making his way to Sharon's condo, she was busy getting everything ready for the barbecue. Andy had offered to pick up a couple of sides to bring, but she'd told him she would make a few things. She'd made a cucumber salad they both liked and had sliced a watermelon as well. Brady was busy toddling around the condo; his walking was improving every day. She heard Andy knock at the door and scoffed to herself that he was still knocking. She'd given him a key a long time ago because of Brady then, but often, he still tried to act on his best behavior.

She opened the door, "Hi," she smiled and then her face instantly turned to a scowl. "Jack, what are you doing here?" As she moved herself closer toward the door frame to hopefully not give Jack any room to maneuver into the condo, Brady toddled up to Sharon. She wasn't surprised. He followed her everywhere, and he did the same when he was with Andy, or when either of the boys happened to be home.

"Mama," he smiled up to her and then looked to Jack.

"That's the kid?" Jack raised his eyebrows and looked to Sharon. "Last time I was here, it wasn't that long ago," he stated, as he started to think back.

"Hmm, just over a year ago, almost 14 months ago, Jack, but who is counting? What do you want?" Sharon asked.

"Mama up!" Brady called to her. He'd started to say that, demanding different adults pick him up lately. She reached down and scooped him up before he started to throw a tantrum, another thing he was starting to do on occasion.

"Who's the little guy? He doesn't look like Emily or Ricky did. He's almost one, now, I guess?" Jack asked as he stared at Brady. "I can't believe you had another kid," he chuckled. "They probably gave you an award for oldest mom there."

"Jack, can you get to the point. I've got better things to do today," she sighed.

"Well, that's why I'm here! Happy 4th of July! I wanted to stop in and see my family, wish all of you a great day and see if you wanted to go to the park tonight and watch the fireworks for old time sake. Honestly, until I saw the little guy, I forgot he'd even be here," Jack said. "What is his name? If he's Emily and Ricky's brother, I should know his name. He affects their lives now too."

"Yes, he does," Sharon nodded. "They adore him, and he adores them. This is Brady, and while he is part of my life, he's not part of yours."

"Brady Radyor? A lot of 'y' sounds, there Sharon," he pointed out.

"Brady Flynn, not that it's any concern of yours, Jack, "she stated flatly. "And, no," she brushed back his darkening hair and looked to Brady, "he doesn't look like Emily or Ricky. He looks more like his half-sister."

"Oh, so I'm guessing that's Baby Daddy's last name! Wow, Sharon. I heard you had developed a wild streak in you, at least that was the rumor through some of my old contacts. At first, they asked if I was back in town when they saw you were pregnant. They did a little digging and found out you didn't appear to be involved with anyone. It's nice to have contacts," he winked.

"Dada!" Brady squealed and kicked at Sharon to be put down. Sharon looked beyond Jack, who was covering most of the doorway entrance and saw Andy coming down the hall. Brady had a good view from Sharon's arms of his dad, and once Sharon had put him on the floor, Brady moved quickly by Jack's leg to toddle toward Andy.

Jack spun around when he heard Brady call out and push by him. Andy who was juggling the boxes, shifted them to one arm to pick up Brady. "Hey Munchkin," he called to him as he surveyed the scene in front of him. He glanced to Sharon and saw her irritated expression. "Hi," he said almost in question.

"Ahh, might this be the Baby Daddy?" Jack jumped in. "The little guy seems awfully cozy with you, or Sharon, is this just some other man to whom you've attached yourself? Buddy," Jack turned back to Andy, "run while you can! She's not worth the effort," he chuckled.

"Andy, this is Jack," Sharon nodded to him, as if after all that, Jack needed any additional introduction.

"Jack Raydor," he enunciated, "as in the love of Sharon's life," Jack said with a proud smirk.

"Oh, I'm well aware of who you are," Andy said now that he'd arrived at the doorway. He put the boxes down, but he kept a tight grip on Brady. "Sharon's deadbeat of an ex-husband, yeah, well aware. I will say from what I've heard there's no love loss. Andy Flynn," he stuck out his hand to shake Jack's. "Please know the last thing I want to do is be civil towards you, but I'm a decent guy," he said calmly. Jack just looked down and quickly shook Andy's hand. Thankfully, Brady interrupted them.

"Mama!" Brady squealed and reached out for Sharon again. Andy took the opportunity to hand Brady to Sharon. She reached for him, and Jack jumped on her case again.

"That's not my ring!" he exclaimed. Sharon looked to him with an irritated expression.

"Of course, it's not! Jack, we are divorced. You left us. The kids barely know who you are, and I am guessing you have no idea what either one is doing right now. Andy and I are getting married. The kids are happy about it, and you have no say in any of this. Now, why are you here? We are not going to stand here in the hallway so you can harass us," Sharon said firmly.

"I told you I wanted to see how you and the kids were and see if you wanted to watch the fireworks tonight," he flashed a flirty smile. "Never could resist holidays and all, Sharon. I'm back in town."

"I will not be watching the fireworks with you Jack, not tonight, not ever," she enunciated.

"Where are the kids?" Jack asked, trying to look over Sharon to see inside the condo.

"Not here, Jack," Sharon told him.

"Emily graduates after this school year, right?" he asked. Sharon met Andy's gaze, as he was standing just behind Jack, and Andy shook his head in disgust.

Sharon shifted Brady on her hip, "No, Jack. She already graduated from Arizona State, just to be clear. I know you never visited her at the campus, but she graduated in May."

"Oh, she did?" Jack asked, now surprised. "Wait, I guess I'm all off on my years. Well, where is she?"

"New York," Sharon sighed, shaking her head. "You never saw her dance at school. She's a fantastic ballet dancer and landed her dream job in New York. She moved there in May."

"In fact, Sharon and Emily drove across country to get her all moved," Andy added.

"Oh, well, I didn't ask you, Flynn, isn't it?" he scowled to Andy.

"That's why I'm telling you, Jack!" Andy exclaimed. "I've seen your daughter a whole lot more than you have. In fact, Sharon and I spoke to her a few days ago. She's got a nice place in New York. I'm glad I got to see it."

"You've seen her place?" Jack spun around, so quickly it startled Brady. Sharon didn't want to let Jack into the condo, so she needed to quiet Brady before they all started a scene in the hallway.

"Yes, I've seen her. She's a fantastic young woman. Brady and I flew to New York to meet up with Sharon and see Emily. We spent a few days with Sharon's parents," Andy added.

"Oh, well, there's somewhere I'm very glad NOT to have been," Jack said in a disgusted tone. "Made me sleep on the couch and made me feel totally unwelcome," he grumbled. "Not a fan of Sharon's parents."

"I'd say the feeling is completely mutual," Andy nodded to Jack. "I got a bedroom; they like me," he flashed a fake smile to Jack. He was seeing very quickly what a dirt bag Jack was.

"Fine, she's in New York. I'll have to get her phone number," he told Sharon.

"I've sent it to you plenty. I'll text it to you again, that is if your phone is working. It never seems to work when I call or ask you for anything, but when you need something, it works just fine. Funny how that works," Sharon said with a sweet fake smile.

"It's the same number and working," Jack waved to her. "You can't keep me from seeing Ricky. Where is he?"

"I'm not trying to keep you from him, but he is now 19. You have no legal right to see him; he can decide that. His number is also the same, but just so you can't argue it later, I will send that to you as well. He's at work. He heads back to college in a month."

"Oh, where's he going to school? UCLA or USC?" Jack asked.

"Same place as Andy's son. In fact, the two are friends," Sharon said cryptically. "Jack, he'll be a sophomore at Stanford."

"He's at Stanford, my alma mater?" Jack grinned. "Always knew my boy would take after me."

"Hmm, other than picking the same college, he is nothing like you Jack," Sharon smiled brightly. "You are welcome to call him. He'll be home for the rest of the month. I'm not guessing you stopped by with a tuition check for Stanford?"

"Ahh, no!" he held up his hands. "Sharon," he chuckled, "you know that as soon as I can, I'll send you some money for him. He might want a car or something one of these days."

"He has a nice car, Jack," she flashed a smile. "Don't worry; I stopped expecting anything from you the day I told you I was pregnant with him, and you yelled at me about wanting to have more children. Now, if you would go, I would appreciate it."

Andy changed his stance, and Jack looked to him. Jack raised an eyebrow to Andy, "And, what do you do for a living, Flynn?"

"Lieutenant, Robbery/Homicide, so I've got plenty of experience sniffing out dirt bags. Sharon has told me you could be a lawyer if you pulled your head out of a bottle. Stay out of my suspect interrogations. It may not go well for you."

Jack dismissed Andy by turning to Sharon and laughing, "Oh, Sharon, you mean to tell me you up and found yourself a cop? You, the one who is too good for the rest of the police department, got involved with a homicide detective? Really pathetic, Sharon," he sighed.

"Please leave, Jack," Sharon shifted Brady and put her hand to his head. He was starting to squirm. "I'd also ask you to not come back."

"Don't hide my kids from me, Sharon," Jack smirked as he turned to leave. "Good riddance, Sharon, and don't come crawling back to me when your detective here turns out to be a huge loser." Jack threw his hand up in a fake wave and turned to leave. Andy stepped closer to Sharon, and Brady looked to Jack's retreating form.

"Bye bye," Brady waved. Sharon groaned, wishing her toddler wasn't so polite to her dirt bag of an ex-husband.


	49. Chapter 49

"Hey," he walked up to her and put his arm around her shoulder. She was standing in the living room looking out over the city. She really did have a fantastic view, but she wasn't going to be sorry to move. Brady deserved a yard, and the balcony area made her nervous with Brady. Because of him, she rarely went out on it; she'd seen too many cases of children and adults having accidents off a balcony. Brady was walking pretty well now and starting to climb things. Sharon couldn't imagine trying to keep him from climbing the balcony. Moving to Andy's house was the right choice. "You okay?" he asked. Sharon felt Brady push between their legs and then saw him put his tiny hands on the sliding glass door to look outside. Sharon chuckled at the toddler; his hands all over the glass was another thing she wasn't going to miss about the condo.

"Yes, I'm okay," she sighed as she shook her head. "That was typical Jack." After Jack had left the condo, Sharon had helped Andy bring in all the boxes, and he'd put them back in Brady's room. He'd also just changed Brady's diaper, giving Sharon a few moments to collect herself. "I'm sorry," she reached up and squeezed his arm as the two watched Brady at the window in front of them.

"For what? You didn't create an idiot ex-husband. Honestly, it's good I met him. Hopefully, he won't come around again," Andy told her. Sharon hummed quietly and then she turned in Andy's arms.

"Enough about Jack," she ran her hands up his arms. "Are you ready to head to this barbecue and face the firing squad? Your life will never be the same once your whole division, and well, everyone else, finds out about us," she rolled her eyes as she looked to him. He leaned down and kissed her lips quickly.

"I'm more than ready. I can't wait to tell everyone and show off this beautiful ring on your gorgeous hand," he smiled as he held up her hand. "Just think, we'll be married in almost exactly a month."

"Oh, don't remind me!" she sighed. Andy raised an eyebrow and looked to her with a questioning glance. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that," she covered her mouth and started to laugh. "I just can't believe we have a month to get everything ready. Wedding preparations, getting the boys ready to go back to school, moving," she shook her head, "overwhelming."

He pulled her closer as he kept an eye on Brady, who was now toddling around the living room. "One step at a time. Wedding preparation first. Then, we finish getting the boys ready for school. They're guys," Andy shrugged. "They don't want new frilly comforters and bedding. They just need basics, and they have most of that already. One trip to the store, and you'll have everything they need. They really don't want to shop, you know, right?" he grinned.

"I know," she rolled her eyes again and smacked at his arm. "They are all growing up so fast," she looked toward Bray. "Even that one," she nodded to him as he started to pull the magazines off the coffee table. "I think he's trying to pack," she chuckled.

Andy looked toward Brady too, and he smiled up at his parents, drooling all over himself. "You packing to move to Dad's house, Munchkin?" he asked. Brady continued to smile, and Andy turned back to Sharon, "That's a yes. We both know there's no rush to get everything moved. We agreed to do that after the boys go back to school."

"I know," she started running her hands up his chest, "but I do want some of my things over there so I can actually stay there once we are married. Besides, I'd also like to get more of Brady's things moved. He's already moved in for the most part. We agreed there was no reason to double up on things, so I'd like to get most of his things moved so we can sell the extra crib set."

"Yeah, definitely not keeping that for the kids to use," he grinned. "That can be sold because no grandkids for a very long time."

"Agreed," Sharon smiled. "So, ready for the barbecue?"

Andy looked at his watch, and he looked back to Sharon. "Tell you what," he started to say and continued, "we don't need to be the first ones there. How about we calm your nerves somewhat and pack up some of Brady's room? We can work on that for maybe 20 minutes, and then we can go. Whatever we pack, we can load in my car, and it's done. I'll put it all away at the house."

Sharon looked to him and pursed her lips. He held up his hands in defeat, "Fine, I'll take it to the house, but I'll let you put it away where you want it when you are there."

"Deal," she grinned, as she leaned up to kiss him. "You can help me pack my stuff when you stay here the next few days. I don't mean to stress, but we have a lot to do."

"It's not that bad," he put both hands behind her head and started to rub her neck. "You hired that catering person from the restaurant where we're having the reception. She's going to take care of most of it. We just have to go and eat next week to pick out what we want. I call that a win," he grinned. Sharon laughed and broke apart from Andy. She tugged on his hand to pull him back toward Brady's room.

"Come on," she smiled. "Grab your destructive son and follow me," she nodded. Andy grinned, scooped up Brady, who started giggling, and he followed Sharon down the hall.

They arrived to the barbecue an hour later. Andy's division had decided to hold it at public park's pavilion area. His division had searched for a couple of days to find a spot big enough for their group. While it had only started as Andy's division, their families, and a few friends from outside the division, like most things, it had grown considerably. Other divisions had gotten word, and somehow, it had turned into quite the event. Different divisions were told to bring their own food, so Andy and Sharon hoped there would be at least some food left to eat. They drove into the park, and the quickly found that they were going to have to park and walk almost a half mile to get to the pavilion; parking was already scarce.

"Wow, this looks like the place to be in LA," Andy grumbled as he parked. "Good thing we brought the stroller."

"Yes," Sharon nodded as she looked around. Brady was munching on crackers in his car seat, and Sharon unbuckled him while Andy got the stroller.

"Is your division coming to this thing too?" he asked.

Sharon nodded, "I started to laugh when I heard some of my team talking about it the other day. This event really has gotten popular."

"Yeah, well, I guess it's a nice thing to do on the 4th of July. We had to pull a few strings to get this pavilion today, but," he shrugged, "it happened. Above my pay grade, but it happened."

"I guess we can also say it's a nice day for a walk considering we will be walking all the way up there to get to the group," she pointed off in the distance. Andy just nodded.

"It's okay. I'm happy to take a walk with you today. At least it's not too hot, and we got three boxes packed from Brady's room. Aside from a few clothing items and diapers, he's almost all packed."

"I know," Sharon sighed. "It's starting to look empty in his room."

"Well," Andy pulled her into his side and kissed her head, "just remember what a wonderful husband you are going to have who is letting you redo the baseball theme. I mean, come on; I gave up a lot to let you redo his room to what it's like at the condo."

She grinned and looked to him, "I knew my job skill of negotiation would come in handy. Besides, he won't like animals forever, and I'm sure by the time he's in school, he'll be back to some baseball theme because he will love it as much as you do."

Andy flashed a grin, "I'm counting on my brainwashing techniques to work. Let's go."

The continued to chat as they walked to the picnic. Both chuckled at the practicality of the stroller; it held their covered dish, all of Brady's things, and even a blanket to sit on if they needed it. It was nice to not carry everything for once. As they approached the group, Andy, who was walking next to Sharon, pushing the stroller, grabbed for her hand.

"You ready for this?" he asked. She looked to him and with a bright smile nodded. They started to wind through groups of people. Both recognized faces, but neither stopped to chat with anyone in particular. They had each been in the LAPD so long, they did recognize a lot of people, but they weren't interested in idle chit chat. Andy spotted Provenza near the food line and threw a quick wave to him.

"No surprise, there," he nodded to Provenza. "I should have known he'd be in the food line." Sharon started to laugh and pushed the stroller behind Andy. He'd offered to push it, but she'd waved him off. Somehow, pushing Brady seemed to soften her appearance. She had already noticed people throw a glare her way, but had then watched the glare soften when they'd seen Brady. "Provenza, how's the food?" Andy asked, as they walked up to him.

"So so," he said as he chewed on tortilla chips. "What did you bring?" he asked, looking toward the stroller.

"Salad," Sharon nodded as she reached down to pull it out. She handed it to Andy, who opened it to show Provenza. He wrinkled his nose at it and shook his head.

"No thanks," he groaned. "I think I'd rather share the kid's food," he nodded to Brady who was eating another cracker.

"If you steal food from my kid, I'll invite your ex-wives to come join us," Andy told him. Provenza's eyes grew wide, and he shook his head.

"Not funny, Flynn, but I'll let the kid have his crackers," he grumbled. Sharon turned her head to keep from laughing.

"Have you seen anyone else yet, or have your eyes been glued to the food?" Andy asked.

Provenza started to say something, but he spotted someone and waved them over. "Yeah, I've seen a few people. Here comes Buzz now."

Andy turned to Sharon, "Buzz is new to our division. He is a civilian hired to do all the tech stuff, video recording of crime scenes, stuff like that. Don't ask Provenza what Buzz does. Provenza doesn't even know what a DVD player is."

"Oh, I know what a DVD player is!" Provenza exclaimed. "Buzz! Please tell me you brought something decent to eat."

"Happy 4th of July, Lieutenants," Buzz said as he walked up to them. "Lieutenant, I brought a bean salad. Would you like some?"

Provenza lifted the lid and made a disgusted face at Buzz, "Who is going to eat that? It looks terrible."

"I'll be glad to try that," Andy nodded. "It's nice to see some healthier options here, as well as ones that aren't all meat-related. Buzz, good to see you," Andy nodded to him. He turned his attention to Sharon, "I don't think you've met Sharon, have you?" he asked.

"No," Buzz said as he wiped his hand on his pants, even though it appeared clean. "Nice to meet you, Ma'am," he stuck out his hand. Sharon took it and nodded.

"Nice to meet you too, Buzz. I heard you run all the technology in their division."

"Yes, I do. I'm very glad to be working with them. It's an exciting division, but I don't need to talk about dull police talk. Who is the little guy?" he asked.

"Oh," Andy grinned. "This is our son, Brady."

Sharon reached out and touched Buzz's arm, "Buzz, feel free to talk shop. It doesn't bother me at all."

"Captain, maybe some of us would like to NOT talk about work today," Provenza grumbled as he continued to eat tortilla chips.

"Oh!" Buzz exclaimed as he looked to Sharon. "Ma'am, I didn't realize, but are you LAPD too? I'm sorry; I thought you had just been dragged here by Lieutenant Flynn. My apologies. I don't know everyone's story."

"It's not a problem, Buzz," Sharon smiled warmly. "Yes, I work for the LAPD as well, Captain Sharon Raydor," she nodded to him.

Buzz's eyes grew large, "You're Captain Raydor? Oh, gosh, I've heard horrible things about you. I'm sorry," he shook his head. "I'm making a terrible impression."

Andy gripped Buzz's shoulder and laughed, "Buzz, it's fine. That's a better reaction than most people give to Sharon. She's definitely notorious at work."

"Wow," Buzz shook his head again. "Nice to meet you, then. You have an adorable baby. Is he your only one?"

"Oh, no," Sharon started to laugh. "Andy and I have a blended family. He's number five. Andy and I each have another son, and then we both have a daughter."

"Oh, wow," Buzz nodded. "I guess you do a good job of keeping home and work separate. Lieutenant, I didn't even know you were married."

"He's not, Buzz," Provenza jumped in. "There's still time to save him from the pit of despair. These two idiots are planning to get married in another month. If that actually happens, I suffer because I have to go and watch this mess happen," he grumbled as he flung his arms around in disgust. Andy sighed and looked away, and Buzz got a smirk on his face.

"Ma'am, are they always like this? They always seem to be like this at work, so I've been dying to find out if they are like this when not on duty," Buzz asked.

Sharon covered her mouth as she laughed, "This is nothing. They can go on like this for hours. Lieutenant, you realize as soon as we get married, your football afternoons will be slightly different?" she asked as she tilted her head toward Provenza.

He thought a moment and then got a disgusted face, "You'll be at the house all the time, won't you? I can take the kid there," he nodded to Brady. "He's a guy, and well, he usually has food with him. He's welcome, but now, you'll be living there all the time. Do you bring anything to this football weekend, Captain?"

"Hmm, maybe a spinach dip?" she teased him. Provenza nodded.

"We might make that work, Captain, even if the spinach makes it healthier than I would like, but no mention at work that I was ever seen at your house," he pointed to her.

"Ahh, there's that adorable baby," the all heard and turned to find Julio walking up to the group. "Captain, nice to see you again," he smiled to Sharon. "Lieutenants, Buzz," he nodded. "Good to see you, Buzz, and Lieutenants, I see you haven't gotten into trouble yet today."

"Oh, would you stop?" Andy groaned and turned his head upward. Julio bent down to look at Brady. He glanced up to Sharon as he did so.

"Captain, he's gotten so big. Is he walking yet?" Julio asked. They all smiled as Brady offered Julio a cracker. Provenza's eyes got bigger as he contemplated taking the cracker Brady was offering Julio.

"Yes, he's walking," she grinned, "and recently, he's starting climbing." She ruffled his head and then put another cracker on his tray.

"Oh, wow, that's a beautiful ring, Captain!" he grinned as he looked up to Andy. "Lieutenant, I am hoping you gave her that ring?"

"She finally admitted she was jealous Brady got to spend half his time at my place," Andy smiled. "Jealous," he nodded. "She was jealous of her own son and decided to marry me so we didn't have to split time with Brady."

"Oh, hush," she swatted at his chest. "You'll have them actually believing this is some arrangement. I love him," she smiled as she squeezed his arm. Provenza spit out the sip of water he was taking.

"Captain! Please! I can't take that. I'm eating," he exclaimed. The group laughed.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here, a meeting of the minds?" they all heard and turned to see Taylor standing before them. He was now Provenza and Andy's new boss, the change having just taken place the week before. He wasn't new to the division, just the job.

"Taylor," Andy nodded. Provenza did the same; neither were calling him by his rank because they were irritated he'd gotten the job. He wasn't too bad at work, but he wore his new rank like he'd been made head of the LAPD.

"Oh, Captain," Taylor nodded to Sharon. "I didn't realize you were here with the guys. I apologize. From behind, I saw a woman with a stroller and didn't realize it was you. I'd heard you had a baby awhile ago."

"Yes," she nodded to him, avoiding name and rank. "This is Brady, and he's 13 months old."

"Ahh, Master Brady," Taylor leaned down to the stroller and smiled at the baby. "I almost feel sorry for you, knowing your mom will never let you get away with anything. She's tough. Good luck, Little Man."

Julio chimed in then, guessing by the glances that Taylor didn't know Andy was Brady's dad, "Yeah, he'll probably need that luck, Sir. I'm guessing if he's anything like his dad, he'll have a mischievous streak."

Taylor chuckled, but then he realized he really didn't get the joke. He stood again and looked to Sharon, "Sorry, I must be missing something."

Andy just nodded, holding back his grin. He was loving this, the bomb he was about to drop on Taylor. He knew Taylor didn't like him. "Ahh, come on, Julio. Sharon might try to keep him in line, but I'm confident I'll still be able to teach him a few tricks. Plus," he shrugged, "let's not forget he has four older brothers and sisters who will be glad to teach him all sorts of tactics."

Taylor's eyes flew open, as he glanced to Sharon. She had closed her eyes and was starting to laugh. He glanced to Andy, who was wearing an almost flirty smile. He shrugged, "Taylor, give me a little credit with my own kid."

"He's your kid?" Taylor asked, pointing to the baby.

Andy shrugged again, "I sure hope so, or I'm spending a fortune on day care for nothing. I mean, he is giving Flynn a good name with his good looks, but huh, Sharon?" he questioned with a goofy grin.

"Stop," she turned and scolded him, although she was laughing too much to be serious. She turned back to Taylor. "Brady is our youngest. We've had quite a few things going on the last couple of years, but Andy and I are getting married in a month."

"You're getting married to him?" he asked and looked from Sharon to Andy. "Captain, I'm surprised. Flynn, why haven't I heard about any of this?" he gestured. "I had no idea you were getting married, or had a family with Captain Raydor."

"It's not been a secret," he nodded to Sharon's hand. "She's been wearing her engagement ring, and I pick up Brady all the time in day care. I guess we've just done a good job not being the office gossip." Andy said the last part, knowing Taylor was the office gossip.

Taylor just shook his head and ran his hand over his mouth. "Wow, you think you know your team," he sighed. "Congratulations, I guess," he offered a small smile. "Never pegged this," he gestured between the two.

"Taylor, I can tell you all the details, their moment by moment love story over ice cream sundaes and popcorn," Provenza mocked. "That's just the kind of guy I am."

They all started to laugh, and slowly the group broke apart. Sharon and Andy walked around and nodded to a few, but before they got any further, Sharon tapped Andy's arm and pointed to Brady. He'd fallen asleep.

"As much as I'm enjoying this, I think I'd rather hang out at home with you," he smiled as he whispered to her. "Besides, we've told Taylor, so the entire LAPD should know within the hour." Sharon covered her mouth to not laugh out loud and wake Brady. She nodded in agreement.

"Agreed," she said. "We've made our appearance. Let's head home. We've got a lot to plan."

"Hmm," he hummed. "Home. I like the sound of that. I'm all in for planning if it means my home becomes your home at the end of all this planning."


	50. Chapter 50

"Dada, hi," Sharon heard and moved her hand to feel for Brady. It was early still, and she had been sleeping so hard she hadn't even heard Andy get up and get Brady from his crib. Obviously, he had because here he was talking to them. It was Thursday morning now. Andy had stayed at the condo with Sharon and Brady all week while the boys had gone to New York. They had gotten a lot done at the condo and packed a lot of things too. Yes, they still had a busy week with work, but for a few days, it felt really nice to go home as a family and relax at home as a family. Sure, the two had found plenty of alone time, but Sharon realized just how much she couldn't wait to be married and settled in a home with Andy.

Sharon continued to feel for Brady in the middle of the bed. She was turned on her side facing toward the window, and she couldn't find Brady in the middle. Sharon had assumed Andy had him sitting in bed with them, as he'd done before. She blindly found Andy's arm and patted it, "Where is Brady?"

"Hmm?" he groaned, sounding much more asleep than he should have been. Sharon immediately sat up and looked around.

"Andy!" she said quickly, as she didn't spot Brady, but saw where he must have been. His blanket and a trail of stuffed animals littered the floor out of their room and into the hallway. Sharon moved quickly out of bed to find him.

"Where is he?" Andy asked as he sat up and trying to pull himself out of his sleep. He looked around and sighed at the mess.

"I guess he figured out how to climb out of his crib," she sighed. "Oh, he's here," she said and bent down to Brady. He had wandered back to his room and was pulling another one of his stuffed animals with him. They'd packed most of his room, but they had left out several stuffed animals he liked. Apparently, Brady had decided to redecorate the condo with them. She felt Andy walk up behind her and turned to look up at him. "Good thing we shut the bathroom door. I think it's safe to say, he's completely on the move. We might need to start closing his door all the way to deter him a little more."

Andy frowned as he looked down to Brady, "Dada, hi," he repeated and smiled at his parents. The two groaned as they stood and looked down at him. "Mama, hi," he said and smiled.

"What time is it?" Andy asked, trying to still get his senses.

"5:15," Sharon said. She leaned down and picked up Brady. "I guess we are getting ready for work a bit earlier than we thought this morning. I'll get him changed." Andy nodded, "I'll get him some milk, and then why don't you get a shower first?"

"See, we've got this down already," she grinned. "A man after my own heart letting me get ready first."

Thursday passed without any major work issues, and Friday morning, they heard Brady on the monitor again, up out of his crib, well before he should be up. Thankfully, both Sharon and Andy were already up; the boys' flight was due in early in the morning, and they were going to pick them up at the airport.

"This isn't going to go well with Ricky home if Brady starts doing this every single morning," Sharon sighed as she followed Andy down the hall. He'd volunteered to get Brady. Sharon had been pouring coffee for both of them.

"Yeah, I thought of that too. He can stay at my house more, if that helps. I know you won't like it, but," he shrugged.

"No," she nodded, "I think you are right. Good morning," she smiled to Brady when Andy finished changing his diaper. He stood him up and Brady waved to Sharon.

"Mama hi," he grinned. "Brady go!" he exclaimed, as if they didn't know he'd gotten out of his crib. Andy started to dress Brady in his clothing for the day when his phone rang.

"Hang on, Munchkin," he said, as he looked to his phone. "Provenza, looks like I have a case." He stood, and Sharon moved in to finish dressing Brady. Sharon watched Andy step into the hall and heard him on the phone. When he finished, she was just finishing with Brady. "Caught a case. Can you pick up the boys? I'm sorry to ask you to do all that."

"It's fine," Sharon nodded to him. "I don't have any meetings scheduled for the morning. I left things open, and I can run them around."

"If you bring them both back here, I'm sure Ricky can run Nate home. Please don't try to run him all the way to my house. It will take you hours," he pleaded.

"Okay, I can do that. Go. I'll talk to you later," she smiled.

Andy moved quickly into the room and kissed her, "Love you. This was a great week here. I'm going to hate not going to bed with you tonight, but the boys will enjoy some time with each of us."

"Hmm, they will," she nodded. "I love you too. I can't wait for the wedding, just three weeks now. If you get to go home tonight," she emphasized 'if,' "you can take Brady. We'll see how he does with the crib at the house. If you don't get home, I'll make it work."

"Deal," he said as he kissed her again. "I've got to go."

Sharon finished getting Brady ready, fed him, and soon, the two were on their way to the airport. Luckily, the boys were a little early. Sharon had sent both boys a text that Andy had to work and to call her. Ricky called her when they landed, and because they were traveling light, they didn't have any checked bags. She spotted them at the door and pulled the car up to pick them up.

"Ricky," she smiled and hugged him as he walked to the car to put his bags in the trunk. "I've missed you."

"Hi Mom," he hugged her back. "That's from Emily," he grinned. "Thanks for picking us up."

"Of course," she nodded. "Hi Nate," she smiled and hugged him as well. He was now pretty comfortable with Sharon and returned the hug as well.

"Hi Sharon," he told her. "Thanks for the text. I almost called Dad, and I know he would have hated the interruption."

"Well, he wouldn't have hated it, but I'm sure Provenza would have annoyed him about it," she grinned. "Come on; let's get going."

The boys piled into Sharon's new car. Ricky sat up front, and Nate got in the backseat with Brady. She pulled into traffic, "Hungry?" she asked.

"Really, Sharon?" Nate teased. "We're guys."

"Right," Sharon started to chuckle. "Of course, you're always hungry. I can stop for breakfast."

"No, it's fine, Mom," Ricky told her. "I know you need to get to work. Most moms don't come to the airport in a full suit unless they have somewhere to be. We'll get some food."

"Are you sure?" she asked, hesitantly. "I feel badly that I am just dumping the two of you."

"Are you kidding?" Ricky asked. "We didn't have to take a taxi or pay some crazy fee to park the car. "We'll be fine."

"Would you mind running Nate home?" she asked. She caught Nate's glance from the backseat, "I'm sorry, Nate, but I really do need to get to work. Your dad caught that case."

"Oh, it's cool," he nodded. "I really don't mind. Honestly, I'm so tired, I could easily fall asleep on your couch."

Brady, who had been dozing due to his early wake-up call started to stir when he heard everyone talking. He opened his eyes and smiled at his brother, "Nat!" he smiled happily. He smacked his hands on his legs, excited to see his brother.

"Brady, my man!" Nate exclaimed and started to play with Brady and his toys. The drive through morning LA traffic continued. "New York was cool," Nate told Sharon.

"Oh, I'm so glad you both could go. Your pictures looked great," she said.

Ricky nodded, "It was. We did all the tourist stuff, ate a ton of junk food, and we walked miles and miles."

Ricky was interrupted by the phone. Sharon answered it, "How's your case?"

"Someone was murdered," he answered in his sarcastic tone. Sharon just sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Hmm, for you, I guess that's a good thing, considering you are a homicide detective. Time to earn that paycheck," she teased.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "I'm on my way to the office now. I just wanted to see if you got the boys okay?"

"Just fine. We are battling traffic now on the way to the condo. They are well traveled and apparently hungry and tired," she told him.

"Not surprised by any of that. Look, I can't talk right now, but I did want to check in. I'll see you later. Love you," he told her.

"I love you too. See you at work," she smiled.

It took another forty minutes to navigate through traffic and drop the boys at the condo. After she had done that, Sharon and Brady headed to work, where she arrived mid-morning. She'd already taken a few work calls in the car.

By the end of the day, Andy wasn't anywhere close to going home, so Sharon took Brady for the night. She laughed when she walked in and found Nate asleep on her couch. She tried to keep Brady quiet, but that was next to impossible with a toddler.

"Nat!" Brady grinned and giggled as he saw his brother. Nate stirred and sat up.

"Oh, hey, sorry, Sharon. I fell asleep. Ricky's sleeping in his room. Man, have we been asleep most of the day?" he asked.

"It appears that way," she smiled. "Do you have to work in the morning?"

"Yeah, first thing. I have to be in early for some training at 6:30, but Ricky said he has to work a few hours tonight, right?" he asked.

Sharon looked at her watch, "Yes, he has to pick up part of someone's shift and work 9:00-midnight. We still have time to have a nice dinner. I pulled chicken out of the freezer this morning, so why don't I make that? There's plenty for all of us. Your dad is stuck at work, and I'll even take you home after dinner. Ricky can head to work, and we can head to the house."

"Are you sure?" Nate asked. "I don't want to be a bother."

"Nate," Sharon sighed and put her hands on her hips. "We're family; it's not a bother. I'll take you home after I feed you." Brady was busy walking around the living room. As the two adults talked, he stopped and looked from one to the other. He walked to Nate and looked to him.

"Brady go!" he exclaimed and giggled. Nate looked to him and then to Sharon for an explanation.

"Ahh, yes, his big news," she sighed. "He's gotten out of his crib the past two mornings. The first morning, he was wandering around the condo. After that, he couldn't open his door, which has helped, but still," she sighed.

"Oh, that's not good," Nate laughed. "Want me to feed him while you work on dinner?"

"Sure," she smiled. "Thank you. We'll wake Ricky for dinner if he's not awake before then. Sharon moved to the kitchen, and Nate followed with Brady. The two spent the next hour talking while Sharon prepared dinner. It was good for them, spending some one on one time together. Sharon had gotten to know Nate well over the last year, but they were rarely alone, and this ended up working out nicely. Brady was always a good distraction too; he was always smiling and giggling.

Sharon finished making the chicken, and the smell of food brought Ricky to the kitchen. "Smells good," he smiled as he went to hug Sharon. "Thanks for making dinner."

"Of course," she hugged him back. "I was just about to wake you. Dinner is ready. Nate and I have been here chatting with Brady. Once we finish, I'll run Nate home so you can get ready for work."

"Sounds good," Ricky nodded as he sat. Sharon moved to sit down too, and her phone rang.

"You must have known we were about to sit down to dinner. I've got all the boys here tonight," she smiled into the phone.

"Oh, that sounds really good right now," he sighed. "Look, I'm calling because our dirt bag of a suspect's lawyer just arrived. Guess who has decided to stay in town and work a few cases?"


	51. Chapter 51

"Hey mom!" Sharon heard from the kitchen. She moved quickly through the condo to the front door with her hand on her mouth to hopefully quiet Ricky. "Oh, sorry," he whispered. "I didn't think Brady would be sleeping at 6:30."

Sharon nodded and smiled at her older son, motioning for him to follow her to the kitchen. "Sorry, Ricky," she smiled when they got to the kitchen. Ricky's expression changed to a questionable one when he saw Brady in his high chair eating dinner.

"Riri!" Brady exclaimed and clapped his hands together. Ricky made a silly face at Brady and ruffled his hair before he turned back to Sharon. "What's with the whispering then?"

Sharon motioned down the hall, "Andy is dead to the world asleep in my room," she chuckled. "He just finished that horrible case and stopped by here to see us. He looked exhausted, but he wanted to talk to me and of course, play with Brady, so I sent him back to my room with Brady while I got him something to drink." She motioned to the counter where Ricky saw a glass of cranberry juice. "He didn't even make it a couple of minutes," she continued to chuckle. "So, I'm not sure if he stopped here to see us or because he couldn't drive any further."

Ricky grinned at the comment and nodded, "That's pretty tired. I mean, the little brother has been trying to climb me in the mornings, and you cannot sleep through that, so if he managed to fall asleep while playing with Brady, he's tired."

"Yes," Sharon nodded. "So, if you don't mind, he's sleeping, and I have no idea for how long."

"Fine by me," Ricky shrugged. "You are getting married in less than a month, and hello," he gestured to Brady, "we all know his story about how he got here and who was involved in that."

Sharon blushed slightly and turned back to her dinner preparations. She changed topics, "I made a pot roast for dinner. I know it's one of your favorites."

"Yeah, that sounds great," he nodded. "Thanks."

"Of course," she smiled. "I know things are about to get very busy here, and I wanted to make a few of your favorites before you go back to school. How was work?"

"Oh, fine," he added as he sat to play with Brady. Brady started to giggle at the faces Ricky was making at him. "I'll be glad to finish the job. It's been fine, but I'm not sure I'll work there next summer."

"They've at least been generous with hours and flexible with your schedule. I know you've appreciated that. Nate mentioned his hours haven't been that great this summer," Sharon stated.

"Yeah," Ricky frowned, "he's not working as many hours as he wants. We both talked about finding different jobs next summer if we come home. And, before you start, it's not about you or Andy. We just might stay at school."

"I understand," Sharon frowned. "I don't have to like it, but I understand. You are growing up. All of you," she added.

"Yeah, it's not that we won't miss home," he sighed and then he shrugged. "I won't stay away forever. Promise." Sharon just quietly nodded as she continued to work on dinner. "Anyway, if Andy's done with the case, what is the story with Dad?"

"I don't know," Sharon shook her head. "I was really hoping to get that from Andy, but he fell asleep so quickly that I didn't. Other than speaking to him briefly the last couple days, he's barely stopped working to even eat. I tried to stay away from his division because I didn't want to deal with your dad. I already saw him on the 4th of July as I told you."

"Yeah, he's still not called me. I tried texting him, and he never replied to that," Ricky told her.

Sharon put down the knife she was using and looked to Ricky, "I'm so sorry, Ricky. I wish I could change things, but I can't. He's done a lousy job with you and Emily. I'm not going to excuse it. I can take it, being a lousy husband, but there's no excuse for his being a lousy father."

"Thanks, Mom," Ricky offered a small smile. "You've more than made up for Dad. Emily and I know how much you sacrificed for us."

"I always will, always," she smiled. "You and Emily are always worth it. Let's eat," she gestured to the table. Ricky turned slightly so he was facing his plate. Brady remained in his seat where Sharon gave him a few cooked carrots and some other mashed up food. He started to eat and make a mess. "Just like his brother," she smiled to Ricky as she sat. He rolled his eyes and grinned at her. The two enjoyed their meal, taking their time to eat. Brady seemed to relax; he was getting tired, but he did a good job with them at the table. They were almost done when Andy walked up behind Sharon's seat and leaned down to kiss her head.

"Smells good. Man, I'm sorry I fell asleep," he chuckled. "I woke up in a panic, sure that I'd dropped Brady or something. Last thing I remember, he was climbing all over me on your bed while you were talking to me down the hall." As Andy spoke, he sat down in the chair next to Sharon. Brady remained at the head of the table, with Ricky across from Sharon. "And, you definitely weren't home when I fell asleep," Andy smiled and pointed to Ricky.

"Nah, I just heard that you weren't taking care of my little brother, so I had to rush home," he flashed a grin at Andy and shrugged. Andy closed his eyes and chuckled.

"Well played," he sighed.

"I'll get you a plate for dinner," Sharon patted his arm and stood to prepare his plate. "I didn't want to wake you; you haven't slept much in a few days."

"Yeah, well aware," Andy grumbled. "Tough case."

"Which, I'm guessing was even worse with Dad there?" Ricky asked. "Don't mince words about Dad with me. I've probably thought or said them all myself."

Sharon met Andy's gaze with a sympathetic smile toward Ricky. She continued to prepare his plate, minus the meat. "Let me start by saying that if I wasn't impressed already, I'm very impressed with the young man you've become Ricky. Sharon did a great job with you, and you have a great mom. Now, after getting to know your dad a little more the last few days, I can't say that he can take much credit for the last 19 years of your life."

Ricky nodded, "I don't think Dad can take credit for more than about the first 19 minutes of my life. He's been absent almost since I was born, but thank you." Sharon returned to the table and put Andy's plate down. He nodded his thanks to her and continued to explain his time with Jack after she sat.

Andy nodded at Ricky's comment and continued, "So, your dad came in right away after we hauled in this dirt bag of a drug dealer. Guy didn't end up being our killer, but we really didn't have him at the top of our list from the beginning. He had information we needed, but we were also able to hold him on several other charges including possession. So, I'm in the interview room with this dirt bag, and he's told me that he wants a lawyer. I'm not even to the door to leave, and your dad comes storming into the room. I guess the guy's girlfriend, or one of his many girlfriends," Andy rolled his eyes, "called someone who called Jack when we hauled this guy in. Jack started in on me about abuse of power, not mirandizing the client, all this junk that he and I both knew was untrue. Anyway, I really kept my cool and left the room. He spoke to his client for quite awhile, which is when I first called you, Sharon," he looked to her. "I just can't see how he was ever a nice guy. I know he had to have been, but I don't see it at all now. We held his client for 24 hours before he was arrested for the charges we could make stick. Jack was so ticked we kept the guy that long."

"Wow, I'm surprised to hear Dad cared about anything or anyone," Ricky added. Sharon shook her head.

"One thing I can say about your dad is he is a good attorney, when he wants to actually practice law. I'm guessing he was irritated because he then stayed the whole time with his client?" Sharon asked, a small smile on her face.

"Yeah," Andy grinned. "Taylor talked about charging the guy right then and there on the possession charges, but I let Provenza deal with Taylor. He just happened to mention that Jack would most likely stick with his client until he was charged or released, and while we could do it right then and there, that Jack hadn't made any financial or emotional contributions to his kids' lives, and it might be beneficial to give Jack some hourly time with his client to earn some money. You know," Andy shrugged, "he does bill by the hour." Andy chuckled as he recounted the situation.

 _"Taylor, what's the hurry to send this guy packing?" Provenza asked as the team stood around in their office area discussing their next move._

 _"Look, we aren't going to get much from the guy. We didn't think we would anyway; the drugs were just a bonus to have him arrested. We don't need this guy now, so we might as well cut him loose, well, at least send him to booking. He'll get booked on the various drug charges, and we can move on from our case," Taylor told the team._

 _Andy was about to say something, but Provenza nodded to him and waved him off quickly, "Listen, Taylor, we can hold him a bit longer. Why don't we let him sit for 24 hours? Yes, we believe we're ruled him out, but he doesn't know that, and he's going to be arrested anyway. His lawyer is here, and it would give me great pleasure to watch that guy sweat it out too."_

 _Taylor's eyes turned to Provenza, "His lawyer? What do you have against Jack Raydor? We've seen him here before in the past, not recently, but we've seen him."_

 _Provenza shrugged, not wanting to look to Andy, "I have it on good authority the guy is strapped for cash. If he's charging his client by the hour, he makes a few bucks, a few bucks which I can confirm he hasn't paid his kids or family, that is if he ever ends up getting paid from his upstanding client."_

 _Andy started to silently chuckle, and Taylor nodded, the concept sinking in with him finally, "Ahh, so you believe Mr. Raydor will stay here with his client for the full 24 hours?"_

 _"I'm guessing he will," Provenza nodded. "He's really irritated with our division today, not that any single person here is irritating him more than anyone else," Provenza then turned to give Andy a look. "Maybe if good old Jack sits for 24 hours himself, he'll earn enough money to pay his back child support and some of the college tuition I have on good authority he's never paid."_

 _Taylor nodded, "Never thought I'd see the day I wanted to help Captain Raydor," he sighed, "but, fine, let the drug dealer sit."_

 _"You didn't have to do that," Andy turned to Provenza once Taylor had turned his efforts on one of the other detectives._

 _Provenza shrugged, "Don't ask for a wedding present," he pointed to Andy._

"So, we kept the guy the full 24 hours. Of course, Jack figured it out pretty quickly, and then he spent most of the time irritating us. He went off on a rant a few hours into it, going on and on about how I was out to get him. He went on and on about how I was stealing his family and how no one appreciated him. He even tried to start on you, Sharon, about you being cold and unkind. I put a stop to that. He continued to claim I had set up everything, you know, holding his client. The guys jumped in very quickly and told him I had nothing to do with the circumstances, which was technically true," he smiled. "Sharon, even as much as they might claim to dislike you, they stood up for you, for us, at work," he turned and smiled to her. "I guess if it helps any, they like Jack less than they like you."

Sharon let out a small laugh, as she finished chewing a bite, "Hmm, glad to hear I've been elevated above my ex-husband at work. Now, most police officers I deal with despise lawyers anyway," she shrugged, "but, good to know."

Andy smiled and continued, "We treated him fairly, and we even provided them with food, fried chicken," he flashed a big smile at Sharon.

She pursed her lips and fought back a smile, "Jack hates fried chicken."

"Yeah, he got sick off it once when he was younger and hasn't touched it since," Ricky added.

"I remember," Andy grinned. He turned to Ricky, "Your mom and I were once talking about favorite foods. Somehow, we got onto things our ex-spouses hated," he turned to Sharon trying to remember, "and for whatever reason, I stuck to that memory that you said Jack hated fried chicken. It's just one of those things," he shook his head.

Sharon nodded, "Yes, like I remember you telling me that Sandra doesn't like lasagna."

"Right!" Andy exclaimed. "Who marries an Italian and doesn't like lasagna?" he sighed. "Should have been my sign."

Ricky grinned and shook his own head. He turned to Brady, "Well, neither of us seem to dislike much of anything," he added nodding to Brady. "We're easy to please guys."

"Hmmm, more like human garbage disposals," she smiled. "I think the real reason I was given Brady later in life was to spread out the grocery bill. You're on your way out of the house just as Brady's appetite is increasing."

"Oh, I'll still come home for dinner, especially if there's pot roast," Ricky grinned. "So, Andy, did you and Dad get into anything else?"

"Nah, not much. I did wait for him outside the interrogation room, and once he and the dirt bag were sent packing down to booking, I told Jack he was a worthless piece of garbage who didn't realize what an amazing family he'd abandoned. I told him I should thank him, but that would be giving him credit for abandoning all of you. No, I just told him to stay away from our family, that he was always welcome to contact his kids, but that he wasn't welcome to harass any of us. I also said that contacting the kids was only okay if he was NOT asking either of them for money."

Jack wanted to get into it, but thankfully, there were three officers there ready to help us escort the dirt bags out. All in all, things went as best as could be expected.

"Ahh, wow, thanks, Andy," Ricky nodded to him. "Let's just say he hasn't made contact, but I don't think it is due to your warning. I sent him a text a few days ago, I guess right after we heard he was involved in your case, and I haven't heard back. Emily and I have tried, but we're tired of trying."

"I'm sorry, Ricky. I wish he was a better dad," Andy sighed. "Maybe someday."

The adults let that comment hang in the silence. Brady had been rather quiet while he ate, and all three adults turned their attention toward him. It was easier than thinking about Jack and his future with his own children. Sharon finally broke the silence.

"Oh, the bakery where we are ordering the cake said they could get us in to taste cakes next Saturday morning. I checked, and you weren't listed as being on call. Would that work for you?" she asked Andy. He thought for a moment and nodded.

"That should work, but really, I don't care about the flavor. Get what you like," he smiled and took hold of her hand. "I'm more than happy to go with you, though."

"Cake?" Ricky grinned. "Can a trio of human garbage disposals tag along? I mean, I can't speak for Nate, but if he's free, I can guarantee he'd be up for sampling cake, just as I am happy to offer my services. Brady, here, is willing to try some as well, you know to make sure they are kid-friendly."

Andy and Sharon met their gaze, and both turned to Ricky, "Ricky," Sharon asked, "you want to sample the cakes? I didn't think you would be interested."

"Cakes, yes," he grinned. "Flowers, no."

"Oh, well, Emily helped with those over the computer," Sharon nodded. Andy helped me narrow it down, and then Emily helped with the final selection. She glanced to Andy again who nodded, knowing what she was going to say next, "We would love for you to come sample cake with us. That would mean a lot."

"Done," Ricky rubbed his hands together. "I can taste it already."


	52. Chapter 52

Her heart was full, and if possible, today, it was about to expand even more. She looked to her side and smiled at her daughter sleeping away still. Emily looked so young still, even though she was now a grown woman, living on her own in New York. Sharon turned slightly to look at the day before her. The sun was just coming up, casting the early light into her bedroom. It would be the last official time she'd sleep here; today was her wedding day. Andy. Sharon smiled, thinking of the wonderful man she was about to marry. They were going to have a simple wedding today, one in the small chapel area of the church. All the proper paperwork had been signed and filed, both with the church due to their divorces (Sharon's had been done back when she'd divorced Jack) and with the courthouse to get their marriage license. They were ready; their kids were in town, and they were going to have a wonderful day.

Sharon slipped out of bed carefully, hoping to not disturb Emily. Her daughter had gotten in late two nights prior, but she was still dealing with a bit of jet lag. Sharon moved into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. If someone would have told her five years ago she would have a toddler at home and a loving husband, she would have laughed at them. Sharon believed that phase of her life was over, and she'd come to terms with it. She had accepted that she was a divorced, working mom, with two grown children. Life had a way of throwing curve balls, and she was very glad her pitch had turned into a home run. She finished in the bathroom and moved to the kitchen to turn on the coffee. The condo was quiet, very quiet, almost too quiet. She was so used to Brady's noises in the morning, that on days like this, when he wasn't at home, she missed him dearly. She knew he was well taken care of with Andy. He had insisted on keeping Brady so Sharon could get ready for the day. It helped that Nicole was home too, and she hadn't spent much time with him at all. Of course, Emily hadn't seen him in a couple of months, but she'd spent time with him all day yesterday. Yes, Sharon missed Brady right now, almost wishing she had all three of her children under one roof, but she knew he was in very good, capable hands with his brother, sister, and dad.

The kitchen echoed as Sharon moved around in it. There wasn't a lot left in her kitchen; she and Andy had moved most of it to his house. They'd tackled the kitchen first, trying to combine their things. Both had nice dishes, pots, pans, and other utensils as well as appliances. They'd taken almost a week, between work and the kids, to combine their kitchens. It was probably the most tedious of jobs, but it was done. They had wanted to tackle the kitchen before the wedding knowing all four of the grown children could use some of their discarded items. The kids certainly had "shopped" through their parents' things. Nicole was getting ready to graduate and very grateful to get a lot of the items. Both boys were staying with roommates again without access to a normal kitchen, but they still grabbed things to use in the future. Emily knew she didn't have a lot of room with her apartment and had limited space in her luggage, but she'd even found a few things she needed. Yes, combining the kitchen first had been a bit of a challenge, but very much worth it. The few things that still were left as "discards" were most likely going to stay in boxes for the boys. Both Andy and Sharon believed that they boys would be grateful for the items when they got their own apartments. Sharon moved about the kitchen, glad that the coffee maker was still there. Ricky was taking that with him back to school; he'd already told Sharon that much. As she moved about in the kitchen, she spotted the container of muffins Andy had sent home with her. He knew her well and had picked up her favorites, knowing she and the kids would want something to eat.

Sharon waited for her coffee to finish and walked over to look out over the LA landscape. Her living room still looked the same; they were going to tackle the furniture after the wedding, as well as the other personal items in the living room and Sharon's room. Brady's room had mostly been emptied. Ricky's things remained, but he had two piles ready. He had a pile to send to the house, and he had a pile that was going back to school with him. Andy had found a patrol officer in need of a crib, and the two had just given Brady's second crib to the officer. They felt good about it, knowing they were helping someone who really needed it. With that out of the room, Ricky had a lot more space to stack his things. It was hard to believe the summer was almost over and both boys would head back to school in just over a week. Sharon continued to scan the landscape and her living room. She'd had a lot of good memories in this condo, but it was time to move. Brady was going stir crazy here; he loved being at Andy's house where he had a backyard to play in now. Andy had told Sharon he wanted to put up a swing set and sandbox for Brady in the fall. Well, he'd first told Sharon he wanted to do it soon, and she'd told him he had to at least wait until the fall. Their summer was jam packed as it was.

"Morning, Mom," Sharon heard at the same time she felt Emily wrap her arms around her from behind. Sharon reached up and squeezed Emily's arm.

"Hmm, morning to you. I'm surprised you didn't sleep longer. Did I wake you?" she asked.

"Nah, I just woke up," she shrugged as she pulled away from Sharon and yawned. "Obviously, I'm still tired, but today is a big day," she grinned.

Sharon smiled at her daughter as she nodded, "Yes, it is. I am asking just one last time to make sure you are still okay with all of this?"

"Of course!" Emily giggled. "Mom, you're happy; you're so happy. I don't know when I remember you being this happy. Plus, we love Andy. We really do. He's a good guy, a great dad. I'm grown and have moved away. Mom, this is for you, and Ricky and I both are very happy for you."

"Thank you," Sharon smiled and pulled Emily in for a hug. "That means a lot to me. I'm very happy too. I'm so proud of you and Ricky. You have grown into amazing young adults. I can't believe we have a toddler too," she chuckled. "I say we because he is so loved by all of us. You and Ricky were really there for me when I was pregnant with him and from the moment he was born. Brady is very much part of all of us."

Emily nodded as she listened, "He's amazing, Mom. I'm really glad he'll grow up with a mom and a dad. I guess you could say I'm a little jealous of the little brother," she said as she offered a half smile. "Is there coffee?" she asked changing the conversation.

"Yes," Sharon nodded as she thought about Emily's comment. It saddened her she couldn't give two of her three children that "normal" mom and dad relationship. She had tried, but it hadn't worked. She had every confidence Brady would grow up with his parents. She wanted that desperately. She wanted that for her son, but she also wanted a life with the man she was madly in love with now, and she loved the idea the two would raise their son together.

"Mmmm, I don't know what it is about your coffee, but I've missed it," Emily said when she returned to the windows to stand with Sharon. "You just make it better," she teased.

Sharon chuckled, "I think we should just be glad Ricky didn't already confiscate the coffee maker. He put his name on it the other day when Andy and I were taking out the last of the kitchen things. I believe Ricky was afraid it was going to turn up in the wrong hands. I was worried he'd move it to his room with the rest of his things." Emily started to laugh at the thought as well. The two women stood and reflected on things.

"I know you didn't live here too long, Mom, but I'm going to miss this place. I'll miss this view. It's so different from New York. I love New York, but this is special too," Emily explained.

"I feel the same," Sharon smiled. "It's not quite the same view to look at a real backyard. Soon, I've been told, a swing set is going up back there, as well as a sandbox."

"Ahhh, he sounds like one lucky little boy," Emily grinned.

"Who said it was for Brady?" Sharon teased as she smiled at Emily. "I have a feeling your brother, Nate, and Andy will get as much enjoyment out of it as anyone. I can just see the boys using it as a fitness center," she added.

"What are we laughing about this morning?" Ricky asked as he shuffled into the room. He was still rubbing his eyes and trying to wake up.

"Oh, just how you, Nate, and Andy will probably enjoy Brady's swing set as much as he will," Emily teased.

"He's getting a swing set?" Ricky said, eyes now open. "Sweet. I can do pull ups on it."

"My point exactly," Sharon gestured to Ricky. "Oh, I'm so glad you are both here," she sighed, as she pulled them into a group hug. "I love you both so much."

"Big day, Mom," Ricky smiled. "We're glad you are happy," he told Sharon, "but, I really need to get around some guys," he said as he pulled back from their hug. He smiled at them and shrugged, "Brady here would have at least evened the girl/guy ratio this morning. I think I need to go find the rest of the guys."

"Yes, you should," Sharon smiled. "Nicole was going to come over here this morning. I do have a date with you later, mister," she said as she pointed at Ricky. He grinned.

"Yes, I'll come and see you at the church. Oh, do you want me to still pick up Grandma and Grandpa from the hotel?" he asked.

"Yes! Please do not forget to pick them up, Ricky," she sighed. "They flew out here for the wedding. We cannot leave them at the hotel."

"I'll get them," he nodded. "Promise. In fact, I need to call them because I think they wanted to hang with Brady this morning. They offered to watch him at Andy's house while the guys got ready."

"The house," Sharon repeated, and she noticed Ricky got an odd look on his face. She continued, "Yes, I find myself still calling it 'Andy's' as well, but it's now just the house. Our house. We are all moving to the house. I hope you are okay with that?" she asked.

He nodded, "Yeah, just a bit odd, not bad, but odd. I guess I'll feel differently after I've stayed there and moved my things there."

"Hmm," Sharon hummed as she nodded. "I do understand. Well, you can enjoy your bachelor pad here for a few days before you go back to school."

"I will," he grinned.

"You could have been really mean, Mom, and turned off the cable, water, and electricity," Emily grinned at Ricky.

Sharon burst out laughing, "Oh, that would be funny. If only I didn't need to come back here," she chuckled.

"You two, so funny," Ricky gestured between the women. "I am going to get a shower before the two of you use all the hot water. I am hoping we still have hot water," he grinned at them. "Then, I'm going to go be the favorite grandson with the grandparents and make my way over to our house," he emphasized as he looked to Sharon and saw her smile, "where, I'll fight the grandparents to play with the little brother. That's my day. Oh, and I'm going to watch my mother marry a really good guy."

"Sounds like a great day to me," Sharon smiled. "Let's get started."


	53. Chapter 53

**I decided to have a little annoyance at the wedding...**

* * *

They were married. It was official, and neither could contain their excitement. Sharon and Andy almost ran out of the small chapel area, but they contained themselves and slowed their pace. Their eyes twinkled as they looked to each other, and as soon as they were out of sight of their friends and family, Andy pulled her in for a deep kiss.

"I'm so happy," he smiled to her as he pulled back and brushed a stray hair out of Sharon's face. "You look just beautiful, breathtaking actually," he grinned as he kissed her again. He dipped her slightly as he kissed her, and she gripped his arm tightly as he pulled her back up.

"Mmm," she smiled as their lips parted. "You, Lieutenant, look very handsome yourself. It's a good thing you are legally attached to me now because with you looking that handsome," she grinned, "well, you'd be lucky not to pick up women everywhere you went."

"Oh?" he grinned. "You mean, say a college campus tour?" he winked to her. She laughed as she ran her hands up his suit jacket. They had kept things simple for their wedding. Elegant, but simple. The kids were there, of course, along with Sharon's parents. The girls had decided on a light pink dress and had coordinated it together. The guys wore pink ties that coordinated with the dresses. It was perfect, exactly what Sharon and Andy wanted. They had just a few guests, mostly close friends. Andy had invited his team, and begrudgingly, that had included Taylor. Sharon had invited some from her office too, and the small LAPD contingent was there and appeared to be happy for them. Well, most seemed happy. Sharon and Andy had joked about Taylor, wondering if he would come. Andy believed Taylor would come just to see with his own eyes that the wedding took place. Sharon kept trying to convince Andy maybe Taylor was happy for them after everything. Andy wasn't convinced. Either way, Taylor had come, and the two knew they would have to speak to him at some point.

Sharon and Andy had their kids stand with them, Brady included. His favorite person was Ricky, closely followed by Nate, so Ricky had agreed to hold him. Sharon wasn't sure they would make it through the ceremony without Brady melting down, but she'd been impressed that he'd been quiet. He'd smiled happily to her when he realized she had joined Andy at the front of the church. The sweet baby had everyone laughing when he'd simply said, "Hi Mama. Hi Dada," and with that, the priest had started the ceremony. Brady even had a coordinating outfit. Andy had found it, along with a similar tie for him to wear. Sharon had carried a bouquet of lilies and other mixed flowers, making sure to have bright colors to go with the pink dresses. She herself had worn an ivory tea-length dress covered in lace. It had cap sleeves, and she had fallen in love with it when she'd spotted it at the bridal store one day. She'd worn her hair down, loose around her shoulders, just as Andy had said he liked it. She'd asked for his opinion because she did want it. He'd told her to do whatever she wanted, but after she prodded him for quite some time, he'd finally told her he liked her best when she was just being herself. So, she'd gone that route today.

The two met for another kiss and smiled as they heard the kids starting down the aisle toward them. They'd appreciated the few moment of solitude; now, they would spend the rest of the afternoon with their family and friends.

"Mama!" they heard and turned to see Brady in Ricky's arms. Ricky looked like he was struggling to keep Brady from kicking away from him.

"Oh, I haven't seen him all day," Sharon sighed, as she broke apart from Andy's hand clasped in hers. She ran her fingers over his wedding ring and smiled to him as she turned toward Brady and Ricky. "Come here, Sweetheart," she gestured to Brady. "Thank you, Ricky, for keeping him during the ceremony. I know he can be a handful."

"Yeah, well," Ricky scratched his head as he handed Brady to her. Sharon caught Ricky looking over her shoulder to Andy and turned to face both men.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking between the two. They both had eyes on Brady, and as she gathered him in her arms, she suddenly knew what was wrong.

"He has a fever?" she exclaimed as she felt his forehead. He was hot all over, and she knew it wasn't just from the suit he was wearing. She looked between the two again, and both now had guilty expressions on their faces.

"Well, what did you want me to do? Tell you before the wedding, Sweetheart? I couldn't ruin the day with that. He's got a fever. Toddlers get fevers all the time. It's been right around 101 all day. Look, I've been alternating medicines for him all day as I'm supposed to do. Your mom took good care of him all morning while we were all getting ready. Here, you can check it again yourself, if you like," Andy said as he pulled a small ear thermometer out of his suit jacket. Sharon looked to him, almost horrified, that he'd been carrying it around, and she had not noticed.

"My parents know too?" she asked, sighing as she shook her head. Her dad had walked her down the aisle, but neither parent had said a word to her. They weren't going to have time to get into things now as the rest of the guests were starting to file out.

"He's going to be okay, Sharon," Andy sighed as he put his arm around her. She was still holding Brady, and he was starting to look rather pitiful. As she continued to rub Brady's back, she turned back to Andy.

"No wonder he was so calm during the ceremony. Andy, I am so irritated you didn't tell me, that none of you told me," she complained.

"I'm sorry," he leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I wanted this to go smoothly for you, and for once, for you to not worry about everything. What were you going to do? Would you have called off the wedding? Sharon, he'll be okay. I hate he's sick, but that's what toddlers do."

"Still!" she exclaimed. "Andy, I'm his mom."

"And, I'm his dad. Sharon he's probably had more people worried about him all day than he's ever had. He had his grandparents, brothers, sisters, and me all there checking on him," Andy explained.

"But, not his mom. Andy, I should have known," she sighed.

"I did what I thought was best. I'm sorry if you don't agree. He's my son too, and I didn't think it would be a problem to not tell you for a few hours. I didn't want to ruin our day. Now, you can go ahead and be all mad at me, but can you please try to be happy on our big day? Sharon, we have friends coming out to greet us, expecting that since we just got married, we'll be happy!" he exclaimed, a little too loudly. The kids all looked around, hoping others hadn't heard it. They had all kept quiet, knowing to stay out of the discussion.

Guests started to walk out of the chapel. Sharon's parents were the first. Ricky moved to help them, as they were moving well, but no one wanted them to take a fall. They smiled when they got over to Sharon and Andy, and when they noticed Sharon's face, they frowned.

"I guess you figured out Brady has a fever?" her mom asked as she ran her hand down his back.

"Hmm, yes, sadly, it had to come from the one-year-old himself. Seems as if my family, all of them," she looked around to the group, "decided to keep that from me."

"Sharon," her mom patted her hand, "he will be okay. Focus on this day. It's a wonderful day for you, for a wedding. We never thought we would see you happy again. We'd like to see that smile now we saw in the chapel," she leaned in and smiled at her daughter. Sharon just nodded and looked back to Brady. She felt Andy's hand around her back, and she nodded to her mom.

"Andy, here," her dad handed Andy an envelope. Sharon and Andy looked at each other, both not sure what it was.

"Dad, what is that?" she asked.

"Well, it's tradition for the bride's parents to pay. You never asked us for a dime for this wedding, Sharon," her dad smiled. "Now, I know we paid for your first wedding, so you probably thought that since you were a successful grown woman, and it was a second wedding, you had to pay. There's a check in there, and it should cover the wedding. If it doesn't," he grinned, "well, then LA is even more expensive than we thought. I guess I should clarify it should cover everything but the caterer. I already spoke to them and paid that over the phone. The check is for everything else. You'd better cash it, young lady," he pointed to Sharon and then to Andy. "A good son-in-law would listen to his father-in-law and make sure that is cashed."

Sharon looked to Andy again, and he shrugged at her as he smiled at Sharon. She turned to her parents and shook her head, "I don't know what to think. I'm mad about everyone keeping Brady's fever from me, but this is just so kind. Thank you," she nodded with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you," Andy leaned in and told Sharon's parents. "Thank you for that and for being good secret keepers," he smiled. He turned to Sharon, "We all love you so much, Sharon. For once, we wanted the day to be about you."

Sharon nodded, but their attention was turned toward the rest of the guests who filed out. Andy kissed the side of her head and ran his hand over Brady's back as they turned toward their guests. Sharon whispered quietly to him, "If you even think I'll leave him alone tonight with this fever," she sighed.

Andy just nodded and before the first of Sharon's team greeted them, he said, "I love you because you are you. I knew you would be worried about him tonight. The kids all decided to have a slumber party at the house, and that means, you, Brady, and I get the condo tonight. It's already been arranged. We can keep a vigil with him until he's better."

Sharon turned and mouthed, "Thank you," to Andy, and the two turned back to greet their guests. Before she said anything to her team, Sharon started to chuckle, as she heard Provenza pushing his way out of the chapel to get to them first.

"Flynn, how much longer until we go eat and have cake?" he said as he walked up to them. "Ahh, Captain, you look very nice, and the kid," he gestured with is hand, "looks well, cute," he said. "So, Flynn, lunch?"

"Provenza, really?" Andy sighed. "You've been married a few times, so you know how this works! Maybe if you move on through the line, we can speak to everyone, take our pictures, and get to lunch."

Provenza frowned, "So, we have to wait for you to get there, after these pictures of yours, to eat?" he grumbled. "Well, hurry up. Kid feeling better?"

Sharon turned to Andy, wide-eyed, "Even Provenza knew he was sick?"

Andy looked up and sighed. He glared at Provenza and turned back to Sharon, "He stopped by this morning, wanted to see if I'd changed my mind," he flashed a smirk to Provenza. "That wasn't the case. Anyway, he saw Brady was under the weather."

"See," Provenza gestured, "kid even tried to stop the wedding. Got sick. I did hold my tongue in there, Flynn. I didn't object."

"Because I told you if you did I would send your ex-wives the calendar schedule of your vacation days! Provenza, move. I've got to deal with Taylor still. Where's a good dead body when you need it? Always a murder when we don't want one, and now that I'd love to get Taylor out of my hair, people are being kind to each other all over the city! Can't Taylor go and investigate something?" Andy complained.

Sharon patted his hand to calm him, and the two turned to the rest of their guests. Their wedding had been beautiful, but everything since they'd stepped out of the chapel had been a bit shaky.

Things improved by the time they got to the restaurant. Brady was still feverish, but they'd given him his next dose of medicine. Both were hopeful it was a toddler bug; one had been going around in the day care, and neither were surprised he'd apparently caught it too. It just was unfortunate it was on the day of their wedding.

They made it through their nice meal, and Taylor even behaved himself. He came up to the two, both at the church and reception and wished them well. Both times, he gave them odd expressions and just shook his head, obviously surprised by the union. The party broke up rather soon after they had eaten. It wasn't meant to be a long, all-day affair. People wished them well after cake and some light dancing. Sharon looked like all she wanted to do was to escape with Brady and Andy; she was finally starting to get over her irritation about not being told about the fever.

"Mrs. Flynn, you look like you are ready to go," Andy said to her as he leaned down. He'd stood to talk to one of his team members, and Sharon was seated with Brady almost asleep on her lap.

"Hmm, it's been such a nice day, but I feel guilty staying here with Brady feeling so poorly," she sighed as she looked to him.

"Well, let's go then," he nodded to her. "We're a team, a family. If one team member is down, we rally. The kids said they would take care of your parents. I think they are planning to take them back to the house for awhile before they go back to the hotel. Let's get you and Brady to the condo," he nodded to her. "And, don't worry about the crib. I know we already sold it, but Ricky said he put the travel crib up in his room. Brady can still fit in that for now, so we're all set."

Sharon looked to Andy and smiled. She squeezed his hand. "Thank you. I'm sorry this isn't a fairy tale, perfect wedding."

"Are you kidding?" Andy leaned down and ran his hand over Brady. "Sharon, I got the beautiful bride. I get the whole package, the sick prince and all," he chuckled. "We're a family. This is just one of those things. We're married now. Sickness and health, right? Well, Brady is demonstrating the sickness part for us. Let's go. We're a family. We're in this together."

Sharon clasped his hand, and she squeezed it. Andy gestured for her to hand Brady to him. As he took the toddler in his arms, she stood and nodded to their family and friends who were still there. The two waved to everyone as they left, not in some fancy, exciting way, but as the family they'd now become.

"If you're really lucky, Mrs. Flynn, I might even spring for pizza delivery later," Andy winked as they left the reception.


	54. Chapter 54

"You know, I like the changes we've made since our last trip here," Andy grinned as he looked to Sharon. He was sprawled out on the hotel room's bed, his back still in knots, and his gaze met Sharon's as she was changing Brady's diaper. "We don't have to have separate rooms, and I don't have to hide that I love you."

"Hmm, it has been an eventful summer," she smiled as Brady tried to crawl away before Sharon finished. Andy reached over to distract Brady so she could button up his outfit. As soon as she was done, Brady crawled over to climb on Andy.

"Oh, Munchkin," he chuckled, "you're getting so big. It doesn't help that my back is killing me from moving the boys in all day today."

Sharon sat down and then leaned back on the bed next to Andy as she sighed. Brady quickly moved to her, and she winced when he grabbed hold of her hair.

"No messing with Mom's hair, Brady," Andy told him and picked him up to move him. "Man, I'm beat. I can't believe how much junk the boys had to move in today." It was once again college moving day. It was a Friday, so both Sharon and Andy had taken off a day from work. They'd left Thursday evening after work and driven halfway. The boys, so anxious to get going, had driven up together the day before during the day. This year was different; they had worked out the car situation for Nate and Ricky. Each had his car at school, so they two had followed one another the day prior and stayed at their normal hotel before checking into their dorm Friday morning. Sharon and Andy, along with Brady, had driven halfway and finished the drive earlier in the morning. They had arrived on campus around lunchtime, where they'd first collected the boys to go and eat. It had worked out well, actually. The boys had a room to themselves the night prior, and both were able to get into their dorms early Friday morning. The two unloaded their cars, and just as they were ready for more, Sharon and Andy arrived. After a quick lunch, they had unloaded Nate first because his things were closest to the back of Sharon's new car. They'd finished unloading Ricky just an hour ago. Now, they were checked into their hotel for the evening and almost ready to pass out from exhaustion. They had told the boys they were going to shower, change, rest a bit, and then they were going to take them to dinner. The boys were planning to join them for breakfast the next morning before Sharon, Andy, and Brady drove south back to LA.

"You realize that by the time he goes to college, we'll be so old we'll have trouble wheeling the luggage to his room," Sharon covered her face with her arm as she chuckled. "Andy, we're old."

He grunted as he reached over and pulled her closer to his side. He squeezed her shoulder, and Brady settled on Sharon's side. Even he seemed to be worn out from the day. "Well, by then, we can hopefully convince his big brothers to come and do the heavy lifting and either his sisters or by then, sisters-in-law to decorate. Way I see it, we've got the easy job, well, if paying for college is the easy part," he sighed.

Sharon reached up to her left hand and started to play with her ring, "I'm so glad we got married. It feels like it's been much longer than less than two weeks. I'm awfully glad Brady is feeling better too."

"He took forever to kick that fever, that is for sure. I'm hoping that your comment of it feeling like we've been married a long time is because we have settled in so nicely and not because you are ready to kick me to the curb," Andy teased.

"That is a thought. The house does have a curb. See, the condo didn't have a curb, at least an easily accessible one. I won't kick you to the curb-yet," she said as she hesitated on the last word. Both chuckled quietly.

Andy hadn't been kidding on their wedding day when he'd teased Sharon about ordering a pizza. They had taken fever-stricken Brady back to the condo where they'd held him in quarantine for four more days. He just couldn't kick the fever. They were back and forth to the house plenty during that time, saying good-bye to Emily, Sharon's parents, and Nicole, but they tried to keep Brady away from everyone. That first night, Sharon and Andy had been so exhausted from the wedding events, Andy had ordered a very late-night pizza while they tried to calm a fussy Brady.

 _"Vegetarian special for my bride," he grinned as he held the pizza in the doorway to Brady's room. Sharon was standing there, Brady in arms, trying to calm him. He'd been asleep for about an hour, but had spiked his fever again._

 _"Oh, my hero," she grinned to him. "I wasn't hungry an hour ago, but suddenly, I'm famished."_

 _"I mean, you did marry me today, so I guess my macho pride should feed you," he grinned. Sharon smiled as she continued to walk around and rock Brady back and forth on her shoulder._

 _"Want me to take him?" Andy offered._

 _She shook her head, "No, he's starting to relax. Why don't you get the pizza ready, and I'll see if I can get him to sleep."_

 _Andy had done just that, and 10 minutes later, when Sharon had Brady sleeping again, she smiled at his wedding night romantic gesture of pizza on the couch with soft music playing._

 _"I know this wasn't in the plans," he told her as he pulled her toward his chest._

 _She shrugged, "Andy Flynn, since meeting you, not much has been 'in the plans' as you might say," she smiled._

"Nat Nat?" Brady asked as he looked around, pulling Sharon out of her memory. She looked to her youngest and smiled. "Rick-eeeeeee?" he asked too. He looked to Andy and Sharon.

"Oh, I hate that he is aware enough now to know they aren't here," she sighed. "He is going to miss them so much."

"I know," Andy kissed her head as he once again squeezed her shoulder. "He won't be the only one to miss them. I'll miss them too. Do we have time for a quick nap before dinner?" he asked.

Sharon shifted and turned to look at him, "Just how do you suggest getting your son to take a nap this late in the day? Andy, naps don't become popular until you are older, like we are. Toddlers," she gestured to Brady, "hate naps."

"No," Brady shook his head in reference to the nap, after hearing Sharon talk of one. He frowned and looked to his parents.

"See?" she gestured. "I will let you get a shower first," she smiled to him. "Let's feed our boys; they have a long school year ahead of them."

The next morning brought two hungry college students to breakfast. Andy and Sharon were both still exhausted from their travels, and they had a full day of driving ahead of them. After breakfast, they were going to take the boys to do some grocery shopping before leaving them behind for another school year. Then, they had decided to drive all the way back to LA today so they would still have Sunday to recover before going back to work on Monday. Andy had told Sharon he'd move more of her things too, as that project was still ongoing.

"How are your rooms coming along now that you've had a day to set things up in them?" Sharon asked at breakfast. Both boys had piled their plates and were eating as if they wouldn't eat again for months.

"Good," Ricky told her. "I think I'll like living on the fraternity floor."

"Fine," Nate nodded. "I only knew Chuck last year and haven't roomed with him before, so it will be a slight adjustment. He snores."

Sharon burst out laughing as she looked to Andy, "So does your dad."

"Hey!" Andy exclaimed as he looked to Sharon and then to the boys. "What? So, I snore?"

The boys snickered as they continued to eat. Brady watched everyone laughing and started to giggle himself. "Rick-eeeeeeeeeeeee," he squealed as Ricky poked at Brady. Sharon and Andy smiled at each other, enjoying their family time.

"He's going to change a lot while we are at school this year," Nate watched Brady giggling as he commented.

Sharon offered a small frown, "He is. I hate you will miss it, all four of you," she sighed as she shook her head. Andy reached over and squeezed her hand as he offered her a small smile. "Still," she shook her head, "we are very proud of you, all of you."

"Guess there will be a lot of changes by the time we come home," Ricky added. "I mean, the condo will probably be sold. You'll be all moved in, and it will just be different."

"It will," Andy nodded as he finished chewing. "Every stage of life brings change. Knowing your mom like I do now, I know she probably cried when you two dropped off Emily at school for the first time. Change," he shrugged. "I'll let you in on a secret," he leaned in to whisper to the boys as Sharon chuckled, knowing the whispering was only for effect, as he continued, "she cried when we drove home last year. That wasn't even because she'd finally run into me," he winked. "Change again. When Munchkin goes to school finally, she'll cry again," Andy shrugged as he looked to Sharon and winked. "Change isn't bad; it happens, and just because we are sad sometimes, it doesn't mean we aren't happy for you," Andy explained.

Without missing a beat and while soaking up his pancakes in the last puddle of syrup, Nate nodded as he said, "Well, good thing, then, that by the time Brady goes to college, you might not cry."

"How's that?" Sharon asked, a puzzled look on her face.

He shrugged, "Well, you'll be so old that you might not even notice he's out of the house."


	55. Chapter 55

**We've reached the end...thank you for sticking with the story!**

* * *

"See, we're not late," Andy leaned toward her and whispered. "Brady, don't climb on the chairs," he called to him. Sharon sighed as she looked to her active son.

"I can't believe we were almost late," Sharon groaned as she looked around. She waved to Nicole and Emily, not sure if Emily saw her, and she gestured to Andy. "The girls are over there. They've saved some seats." Andy followed Sharon's line of sight and nodded.

"Brady, come here," he called to him, now exasperated. "Your sisters are over there," he pointed. Brady looked and grinned.

"I want to sit with Emily and Nicole," he looked to Andy.

"Yeah, we're trying to get there," Andy said. "Look, you're going to mess up those pants, and Mom will kill me if you do. Get off the floor," he called to him now that Brady had decided to crawl under a chair to get something. "What are you getting?"

"My car," he held up. "See, Daddy. I brought cars with me." He opened his pocket to show Andy he'd brought several little toy cars. Andy just nodded and sighed.

"Brady seems to have brought his own entertainment," he rolled his eyes.

"Did he bring those cars?" Sharon asked. She was in front of Andy, trying to lead them to the girls. Andy was following with Brady, who had other ideas today. The almost-four-year-old wasn't interested in a graduation ceremony. "I told him not to bring the cars. I have some other things he can play with or look at in the bag, but the cars were to stay in our car."

"Yeah, well, he listens well," Andy nodded, mocking the comment.

"Sharon, Dad," Nicole stood and hugged Sharon and then Andy. "I'm sorry, but I thought you were right behind us on the way over from the hotel?" she asked. "Hi Brady," she grinned as he climbed on the chair next to her to sit down.

"We were," Andy frowned. "We were right behind you, but some genius parking idiot decided to stop at our car and direct us and everyone behind us to some new parking lot, at least a half mile away! All the money we've paid this school, and we almost miss everything because we have to park the next county over!"

"It wasn't a half mile away," Sharon patted his hand and smiled to Nicole. She looked to Andy, "It was almost a mile away," she smiled, knowing Andy thought she was correcting some over-exaggeration. "We made it, though. Who is Emily speaking to on the phone?" she looked around Nicole.

"Oh, well, it sounds like her dad," Nicole shrugged with an awkward expression.

"Jack? Why in the world is he calling?" she asked.

"I don't know. We were sitting here talking, her phone rang, and when she answered it, I could swear she said something about her dad," she explained. Sharon moved by Nicole to Emily. She was turned away, her finger in her ear as if she was trying to hear. Sharon briefly touched Emily's arm, and Emily turned. Sharon looked to her, and Emily nodded, a silent understanding of who was on the phone.

Sharon sighed as she turned back to Andy. He was trying to get Brady settled in a seat next to Nicole. He looked up to Sharon, "Jack called?" he asked.

"Apparently," Sharon nodded as she moved by Nicole, Brady, and Andy to take her seat. When she sat down, she turned to Andy, "Did you just check me out as I walked by you?"

"And, what if I did?" he asked. "I'm allowed," he winked as he turned back to Brady. "Brady! You can't climb over the seat like that." He pulled on Brady and got him situated again in his seat. Sharon dug into the bag she'd brought to find him something to do.

"Hmm, I'm surprised anyone would want to check me out. In the matter of a couple hours, I'll have two college graduates, two step-children who are college graduates, and a very, very active almost four-year-old who is intent on being destructive," she said as she smiled at him.

He leaned toward her, "Don't forget a very handsome husband who doesn't look a bit his age," he winked to her.

"Yes, he is looking older," she smirked at him. His jaw dropped when she told him that.

"Hey!" he chuckled as he shook his head. "Believe me that I'm feeling old. This monster is keeping me on my toes, for sure," he gestured toward Brady who was busy showing Nicole a picture in the book Sharon had given him.

"Mom, hi," Nicole said, and both Sharon and Andy looked up to see Sandra and her husband had arrived. "I thought you could sit over here," Nicole gestured to her other side, where now, Emily was currently still on the phone. "Emily should be done in a minute, and I can switch seats with her."

"Nicole, we don't want to impose," Sandra told her as she turned toward Sharon and Andy. "Andy, Sharon," she nodded to them. "My, Brady has gotten big," she also commented. They were all staying at the same hotel, but they hadn't seen each other yet. Andy and Sharon had been down to breakfast much earlier with Brady; he was an early riser and always hungry.

"Hello Sandra," Sharon said as she gave her a small smile. Sharon had tried to have a decent relationship with Sandra, and for the most part, they had a civil one. Sandra had been quite irritated about Andy's new family, but they wrote that off as her just being irritated. Things had improved between all of them the last year or so now that Nicole and Nate were grown and not going back and forth between their parents as much. "Jim, nice to see you too," Sharon smiled slightly as she looked to Sandra's husband.

"Fancy seeing you here," he joked, and Sharon reached over to squeeze Andy's hand. Jim irritated him to no end because he was always making jokes, and usually they weren't that good.

"Jim," Andy nodded. "Last time we have to see each other at one of these," he offered. Jim smiled and nodded in reply.

"Mom, that was Dad," Emily said, and the group turned their attention toward her. She rolled her eyes when she made eye contact with Sharon.

"Why did Jack call you, Emily?" she asked.

"Apparently, he is here," she scoffed. "He wanted to know where we were sitting. Dad came."

"Jack came to graduation?" Sharon said as she sat up straighter and started to look around. The idea she'd be able to just spot him was almost comical; there were thousands of people in attendance.

"I know," Emily sighed. "I told him where we were only because I didn't want to cause more of an issue. Mom, we haven't see him in over three years."

"Your ex-husband hasn't seen the kids in that long?" Sandra asked, as she listened to the conversation. "That's terrible. Sorry, I shouldn't say anything."

"Yes, I'm well aware of just how terrible it is, and yes, it is terrible," Sharon nodded in agreement.

"See," Andy gestured toward Sandra. "You thought I was a crappy dad," he flashed a grin to Sandra. "I've paid for tuition, kept up with the kids, let them live with us, and I'm nothing like Jack." Sandra just nodded and turned toward Jim.

Sharon leaned over and squeezed his leg, "You're a wonderful father, Andy. I love you very much. We now have four kids out of the house. One more to go," she smiled as they looked to Brady who was now coloring on a page.

"Yeah," Andy huffed, "but this one might finally break us. He'll be that kid," Andy chuckled.

The announcement came over the intercom system that the ceremony was about to start. Both Nate and Ricky were graduating today; they'd finished in four years, not an easy feat with internships and the like. Both boys had worked hard to graduate on time, and they had decided to stay in the area. Because of that and the cost of rent, they were going to share an apartment. Sharon and Andy had come up two days before graduation to help the boys move. They were now all moved, and graduation was the last step before they started their new jobs.

"Mom, there's Dad," Emily gestured, and sure enough, Jack was walking up the steps toward them.

"Great, just great," Andy sighed. He looked to Sharon. "Guy is MIA for years, doesn't help you at all, and here he is, proud papa, at Ricky's college graduation."

Sharon turned and looked to Andy, "I know. For the boys' sake, let's be civil, for now. I don't think Jack will hang around much. I'm shocked he's kept this much of a tab on Ricky. Ricky didn't mention anything of the sort, so I'm guessing he doesn't know about Jack either. Jack didn't even show for Emily's graduation, and I can't imagine he will stay long for this one."

"Sharon, must have missed Ricky's graduation announcement in the mail," Jack chuckled as he arrived at their row. Sharon cursed that the only available seat was the one right next to her.

"Jack," Sharon pursed her lips and nodded to him. "I'm surprised to see you."

"Yeah, thought I'd surprise our son," he said, enunciating the word 'our.' "Man, I sure am proud of him. Oh, the little guy," he gestured to Brady, who was sitting next to Andy. "Almost forgot about him, Sharon, but I don't know how I could. You started another family. Flynn, right?" he nodded to Andy.

"Jack," Andy nodded and kept his eyes on Jack as the three tried to deal with the awkward situation.

"Daddy, who is that?" they all heard, and Sharon wanted to cringe that Brady had chosen this moment to be friendly. He was a friendly child and enjoyed talking to just about anyone. Sharon turned to him.

"Brady, this is Ricky's dad, Mr. Jack," Sharon said as she looked to her young son. He got an odd look on his face.

"Daddy is the daddy," he said.

"Daddy is your daddy. He's Nicole and Nate's dad too. Mr. Jack is Emily and Ricky's dad. He came to see Ricky," she explained.

"Sit," Brady told him. "We're watching Ricky too. Both my brothers are congratulating."

Sharon groaned as she turned back to Jack, "Please don't correct him," she said, noting Jack was chuckling at Brady. "He can't say graduating yet."

"Well, the little guy has a great idea. Mind if I join you?" he asked. Sharon sighed and moved her purse and bag with Brady's things for Jack to sit. The lights dimmed just as Jack was sitting, the sign the ceremony was about to begin.

"We raised a fine boy, Sharon," Jack grinned as he looked to her. Sharon just hummed and turned to Andy, who had heard what Jack had said. He shook his head and took Sharon's hand in is. She felt him squeeze it, and she returned the squeeze. Andy leaned in to whisper in Sharon's ear.

"Mother of the Year," he told her, and that brought a smile to her face. "I can take Sandra just fine. She's at least been a good mom. You, my dear, are amazing. It's taking all my willpower to not deck him right now. You're a good mom, Sharon, and don't listen to Jack. Any credit he's trying to take, well, you've more than earned it." He leaned over and kissed her cheek as they settled in to watch the graduation.

"Ever wonder what if?" Jack flashed another smile to Sharon as he looked toward her.

"What do you mean, Jack?" she whispered back to him. She was trying to be quiet. "You mean, the what if comment like, 'What if you stayed?' is that what you are asking? She looked back over to Andy and Brady, even further to Emily and Nicole, and she smiled. "Yes, I think of that type of thing all the time, and I'm very glad life worked out how it did. Seems to me it's given both you and me the lives we wanted," she added. "Sometimes you must go through the storm to get to the calm, and I know my life is right where I want it."

Jack just looked away and rolled his eyes. Sharon could tell he was hoping for more of a conversation. Andy pulled her hand up, the hand he was holding, and he kissed her hand. She smiled to him, and she winked at him. Brady started to giggle when Sharon caught his eye. Andy looked to him too, and he pulled their son into his lap. It was going to be a long ceremony, but their boys were graduating. This journey they'd started years ago to find the right college had brought them here, and now they were a family.


End file.
